


Brooklyn's Night Terrors

by shortpromptlongkiss



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Aphrodisiacs, Artist Steve Rogers, Avenger Reader (Marvel), BAMF Pepper Potts, BAMF Reader, BAMF Wanda Maximoff, BAMFs, Death, Drugs Made Them Do It, Eventual Smut, F/M, Friends With Benefits, Fuck Or Die, Hurt Steve Rogers, Jewish Bucky Barnes, Jewish Pietro Maximoff, Jewish Wanda Maximoff, Maximoff Twin Feels, Mutant Reader, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Old Man Captain America, Oral Sex, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker is a Mess, Pietro Maximoff Lives, Post-Spider-Man: Far From Home, Precious Morgan Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Protective Steve Rogers, Quentin Beck Being a Jerk, Reader-Insert, Steve Rogers Needs a Hug, Steve Rogers is Not a Virgin, Time Travel, paint
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-04
Updated: 2020-05-07
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:34:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 30,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23478559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shortpromptlongkiss/pseuds/shortpromptlongkiss
Summary: The pretty scientist working to eradicate a vigilante villain catches the eye of the former Captain America. He jumps back into the time machine, becoming young again in order to live out a new life with his best friends, and perhaps her.Paradise has a price, however.The tracked vigilante kidnaps Sam Wilson and leaves the shield for Steve to take up one last time. Reluctantly, Steve takes on the mantle of Captain America once more as he teams up with his old pal Bucky Barnes and the beautiful and deadly smart scientist."Lust can cloud the mind, but love makes it clear as day."(Mind the rating, there will be smut in future chapters.)
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers, Pietro Maximoff/Peter Parker, Quentin Beck/Original Female Character(s), Sam Wilson/Reader, Steve Rogers & Sam Wilson, Steve Rogers/Reader
Comments: 3
Kudos: 24





	1. Night Calls

**Author's Note:**

> The quarantine leaves quite a bit of time to write, so here I am, ready to take on the first full-length fanfiction that I will finish (this time!).  
> Please enjoy Brooklyn's Night Terrors.

He was tired.

So very tired of having to throw around a stupid Frisbee just to save the world, only for it to be attacked again.

Steve just wanted a little peace and quiet for once in his life.

He didn't regret the choices he made. But now, Bucky could barely look at him. Maybe there was a little regret there, just for his best friend.

Still, the life he had chosen didn't prevent him from wanting to still know what was going on. Sam took him down to a new office a few months after Steve returned to look at what new and interesting villains might be threatening the city.

"Serious Predicaments Evolving Citywide and In All Locations," Sam read, pushing Steve's wheelchair up the accessible ramp. "The officers call it S.P.E.C.I.A.L."

Steve smiled. "At least the world isn't done with insane acronyms."

Sam laughed. "You got that right. Did you hear what happened with that kid Tony brought to the battles?" His tone turned serious, even as they went through the spinning door. Sam loved spinning doors. "Tony left an AI for Peter, E.D.I.T.H. Even Dead I'm The Hero."

"Heard something like that, but I just remember what happened in London." Steve shivered. "Almost makes me want to take the shield back."

"Almost?" Sam teased. "You're not getting this back, man."

Steve chuckled as they headed further inside, towards what Sam described as "smart women central". "A lot of the scientists here are actually women. Turns out they are a bit smarter than us," Sam explained, stopping the wheelchair outside of the lab.

"That they are," Steve said, leaning forward, even though that didn't help his back, and watching the scene inside. All of the people inside except one were staring up at the board, where a woman stood, giving a presentation.

Sam whistled. "That's the top scientist. She's won two Nobel Prizes, one for Physics and one for Peace. Eradicated a lot of threats that could have destroyed a lot more than a couple of cities."

"Oh, so when she does it, she's 'internationally recognized' and 'a hero'," Steve joked. "But when we do it, we're 'dangerous' and 'need to be put in check'."

"The difference," Sam snickered as he headed for the door, "is that she didn't save a city by destroying it."

He opened the door, and the scientist's voice drifted out. "...we believe that this vigilante may have obtained the time machine used to send the Avengers back in time to collect the six Infinity Stones. Our theory is that she will use it to bring back the Winter Soldier and perhaps Agent Romanoff, before Romanoff was taken in by S.H.I.E.L.D."

Graciously, Sam propped the door open so Steve could still listen, then went inside, leaning down to tell a scientist a joke. "Doctor!" he greeted her, taking an empty chair in the second row.

"Thanks for coming, Captain," she returned with a wink. "Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to present Sam Wilson, who, as usual, is fashionably late to the party." She grinned, stepping aside and offering the floor to Sam.

Sam, with his usual theatrics, stood and strutted to the front of the room. "This vigilante is dangerous. We are absolutely sure of that, but we believe that we can and will beat her. The only time machine she has is the van used by Scott Lang, so the Avengers still have their own time machine. What we are hoping for is that we can pinpoint the moment she plans to capture the Winter Soldier and intercept her there. This is, of course, a last-ditch resort in case we don't take her down while we are in this time."

Steve watched, impressed. Sam had always been confident, but he hadn't really spoken in front of people a lot. This was new for Sam, and he was doing an excellent job at it. His eyes flicked to the scientist, who was watching Sam with interest. He smiled to himself, turning his attention back to Sam, who was saying something about how the heroes would win and he was confident in their success.

When they left the building after Sam's pep talk, Steve instructed Sam to take him to the old Avengers facility upstate. "I'd like to see if Bruce can make some adjustments to the time machine. They can be reversed and we'll still have the machine if we need it."

Sam relented after more pleading. Even the grit of Sam Wilson was no match for Old Man Steve's puppy dog eyes.

"You sure this is safe, Bruce?" Bucky asked, keeping an eye on Steve as he hobbled over to the time machine.

"67% sure," Bruce said, fiddling with the controls. "Should be adjusted correctly." He pressed a button and Steve was sucked into the machine.

Bucky rubbed his face. "Bruce, any second now I'd like my best friend back."

Bruce pressed another button and Steve flew back out. He looked young again, but-

Steve began to cough violently, clearly struggling to stay on his feet.

"Send him back in! That's teenage Steve!" Bucky yelled, running over and grabbing Bruce's arm.

"Okay, okay!" Bruce said. He pressed another button and Steve went back in. A few seconds later, Bruce pressed another button and he came back out, this time appearing to be the Steve from seconds before he returned the Infinity Stones.

Steve took off the helmet and shook out his hair. "Am I blond again?" he asked.

Bucky laughed. "Always have been on the inside."

"Was that a dumb blonde joke?" a voice asked from the door. Sharon Carter strode inside, leading the scientist from the presentation with her. "Just wanted to bring up my favorite doctor to see the time machine and what we've got to work with."

Bucky gave the agent a playful smile. "All in good fun, Agent Carter."

"I see our old hero is young again," you said, walking up to Steve. "The world is grateful for everything you've done for it, Captain."

Steve offered you his hand, and you took it. "Thank you for your kind words, but I think I've had enough avenging for one lifetime."

"More than one, from what I gather just took place," you joked.

Bucky cleared his throat. "We've got business to take care of, Doctor. Thanks for stopping by."

You turned away from Steve. "Right. Thank you, Mr. Barnes." You gave him a warm smile and Bucky smiled back.

Steve sighed. It was back to the 40's all over again. Bucky flirted with a girl and Steve had to sit there and watch. Still, he didn't even know your name.

"Oh! Where are my manners?" You spun back to Steve and told him your name, a smile crossing your face at the end of it, as if your own name was the greatest delight in the world. He tested it out, and found that saying your name gave him joy too, but no more joy than when you gave him a wink, a nod, said, "Steve," and then left, dragging Sharon with her.

Bucky strolled over to Steve, giving his friend a smirk. "Someone's got the hots for a scientist," he sang, ruffling Steve's hair.

Steve swatted his hand away.

"Just think!" Bucky joked, "if she'd walked in a few minutes ago, your life could have become Grumpy Old Men!"

"I understood that reference, and I wish I didn't understand that reference," Steve groaned. "Stop, Buck."

Bucky laughed. "Sorry, Steve, I couldn't help myself."

Bruce cleared his throat. "Who wants to help me fix the time machine in case S.P.E.C.I.A.L. needs it?"

Steve sighed and headed over to help Bruce. With Bucky's sense of humor, it was going to be a long day.

Sharon gave you a poke once you two were in the hallway. "You never wear makeup to work."

"I'm not wearing makeup," you shot back.

She rolled her eyes and grabbed your arm, stopping you in your tracks. Before you could react, she had smudged her thumb across your eyelid and it came away brown. "Makeup. You knew Sam was coming in to talk today, didn't you?"

You shook your head and started walking, forcing her to catch up. "I always wear makeup for presentation days. You've seen me at my worst, Sharon."

Sharon smiled. "I have, and need I remind you that I have some pictures from those days?"

This stopped you in your tracks. "You wouldn't dare."

"I have Wilson's contact information. You've gotta ask that boy out, or I'll send him the pictures." She grinned, knowing she had you.

You gritted your teeth. Sharon always knew how to get you to do what she wanted. "Fine. I'll ask him out tomorrow. But not a word of this is spoken outside of our conversations, or I'll send that agent you're talking to the footage from your apartment hallway when you lived across from Steve."

Her eyes widened comically. "You wouldn't dare," she threatened.

"Send the pictures to anyone, and they find out exactly how much Sharon Carter had the hots for Steven Grant Rogers." You scrunched up your nose, giving Sharon the cutest face you could.

"I never told you his full name," Sharon teased.

You blushed. "I do my research like any decent scientist."

The two of you made your way back to headquarters, still poking fun at each other for supposed and not-supposed crushes. Sharon was a good friend of yours, but she could be such a tease, especially when it came to your crush on Sam Wilson. Your resolve was strong, though. Tomorrow, when Sam came to check your progress on the time machine, you'd ask him out for coffee. You'd need a good night's sleep first, though. It was getting pretty late.


	2. All's Fair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a discovery about the dangerous villain, you ask Sam out for coffee. Meanwhile, Steve and Bucky talk women to "help Bucky remember the 40s better".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the support on the first chapter! I'm not a huge fan of how Steve's story ended (first off, I am a Stucky shipper through and through) so I am here to fix it for everyone, especially those who'd like to get down and dirty with our Captain. That being said, I hope you all enjoy the second chapter of Brooklyn's Night Terrors!

"Well, you're starting the day off with a bang," Sharon greeted you as she entered the lab.

You waved the smoke off of the communicator you'd been trying to fix. "I pulled the wrong wire. Didn't expect for it to blow up in my face."

Sharon shrugged. "Just saying. Did you get the news?"

Still focused on waving away smoke, you shook your head. "Don't have time for much of anything anymore, with that villain woman taking over not only New York, but my schedule as well."

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about," Sharon said, dropping a newspaper on the table. You picked it up and scanned the front page. A disturbing picture filled the top half, showing several dead bodies and a figure dressed in deep blue, a mask covering her face. The headline screamed, "Newest Villain Tormenting New York", and underneath the picture was the caption, "Photo courtesy of Peter B. Parker".

"The kid got a photo job for the Daily Bugle," you noted. "Thought that Jameson guy exposed him?"

Sharon rolled her eyes. "Where better to hide than right in plain sight? At least, that's what Parker seems to think." She opened the paper to the big story. "Anyway, this woman killed three men and four women that were stumbling out of a club, drunk. Left her usual message." Another picture advertised the trademark of the villain, six dots surrounding a skull's head. For the first time, you realized how familiar the symbol seemed.

"Agent Carter, get Mr. Rogers down here as fast as you can," you barked, sending Sharon sprinting from the room. You picked up the phone and made a quick call to Director Fury, which he surprisingly ignored.

Still, you were unperturbed and waited for the voicemail beep. Once it sounded, you began rambling. "Director Fury, I've found something on the new villain." You flipped through the story, noting that the reporter was taking the six dots to heart and referring to her as "the Blue Reaper". "They're calling her the Blue Reaper, but that's- that's everything to do with her symbol. And the symbol is everything. Director..." you trailed off as Captain Rogers- Steve- ran into the room. "It may be a coincidence, and Mr. Rogers just arrived to clarify-" you gave Steve a quick look and pointed to the symbol- "Her symbol looks very similar to that of HYDRA. She could be working for a new branch or something."

"Cut off one head, two more grow back," Steve muttered, tracing his fingers over the blue spray paint in the picture.

"Director Fury, please give me a call back soon, I'd like to discuss this further. Thank you." You hung up, still not entirely confident in the former director of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Steve picked up the paper and stared at the symbol, trying to make sense of it. "I don't understand. I thought HYDRA was done and gone for good."

You exhaled sharply and slammed a hand on the table, which caused the already smoking communicator to completely blow itself up. "Dammit!" Now the stupid thing was most definitely beyond repair.

"I think you need a stress break," Steve suggested. "Take an hour or two, I'll analyze this and the article and get back to you."

Nodding, you picked up your bag and headed for the door. Steve was being so generous... then a thought came to mind.

"Steve."

He turned around, giving you his full attention, something the other workers and scientists barely ever achieved.

"Could you look at past articles? That might help your search as well."

Steve smiled. "It would be my pleasure. Go. Take some time."

You turned and stalked out the door, ready to run off to the nearest coffee shop and chug as many espressos as you could without achieving spontaneous combustion (like your communicator). As you were nearing the entrance to the building, however, you remembered your promise to Sharon. Luckily, Sam was in the lobby, bringing in some paperwork.

"Hey, Sam!" you called out. "Do you have some time to grab coffee?"

Sam dropped the paperwork at the front desk and grinned. "I absolutely have time for coffee! Especially for my favorite doctor." He offered you his arm cheekily, but even with his bad humor, you giggled and took it.

"Thank you. I stumbled upon something major in an article and Steve suggested I take some time to process it." You pushed open the door before Sam could get it for you, but to your surprise he looked genuinely disappointed. "In any case, I don't want to talk about vigilantes, or the Blue Reaper, or skulls, or HYDRA. I'd like to get to know you, as Sam, not Captain America."

"I'd love that!" Sam returned, giving you a bright smile. "I know this great coffee house that's within walking distance from here. The coffee is really excellent and cheap, too!"

You allowed Sam to lead you to the little hole-in-the-wall coffee shop, where a sign over the door read, "The Falcon's Nest". Chuckling, you elbowed Sam. "Sure it's just for the cheap coffee? Or is there an ulterior motive?"

Sam shrugged. "I knew the owner back in my military days. He opened a coffee shop and after I became the Falcon, he changed the name to commemorate me."

"That's nice of him," you said, pulling open the door for Sam. He snapped his fingers and made a pretend angry face at you.

"One of these days, I'll show you chivalry isn't dead!" he vowed, propping the door open with his hand and refusing to let go until you walked inside. You did, smiling to yourself at Sam's cute antics.

Sam ordered for the two of you, insisting on paying for your drink. The barista recognized Sam immediately and gave him an over-the-counter hug, then asked, "Who's this lovely lady?"

With pride in his voice, Sam introduced you, tacking on, "My favorite doctor," before grabbing the drinks and making a beeline for a table.

"What was that all about?" you asked, taking your drink from Sam.

He sighed and leaned back in his chair. "That's my buddy. Ever since he got his leg blown off he jokes that it's his best way to pick up girls. I knew he'd start flirting with you, and to be honest, I wanted to talk to you before other men started making passes or anything."

A warm feeling bubbled up in your chest and you giggled. "That's sweet, Sam."

Sam grabbed your hand, pulling your arm a tiny bit so you leaned forward and across the table. "Don't tell me I'm the only one feeling this."

You shook your head. "You're not."

He relaxed, letting go of your hand. "I just thought that you'd prefer one of the others. A real Avenger, even."

"Are you kidding?" you scoffed. "Bucky's flirty, Bruce is a little too big, Thor is off who-knows-where, Parker is way too young for me, and Steve..." you trailed off, unable to come up with a good reason to prefer Sam over Steve. Mentally kicking yourself, you joked, "I'm not on the Carter family tree."

Sam laughed. "I'm glad, I suppose." He fell silent, staring down at the whipped cream in his latte. "Thanks for asking me to coffee," he finally said.

You took your own drink and held it out in a toast. "It was my pleasure, Sam. To this... whatever... that I feel for Sam Wilson!"

He clunked his own cup against yours, laughing. "To this... whatever I feel for my sweet doctor."

"Women!" Bucky said, writing the word in big letters on the top of a college-professor-sized whiteboard. "Any questions so far? Don't worry, you'll have some."

Steve, sitting in the back of the room so Bucky would be forced to yell, returned, "I just want to know about one woman, you jackass!"

"Shut up, punk, school's in session," Bucky shot back, threatening Steve with an Expo marker. "As I was saying." He drew a line underneath the word _women_. "They are fickle creatures, sharing their love- otherwise known as THE FUCK-" " _Language._ " "-with whoever they feel has big dick energy."

"Two things." Steve raised his hand. "One, it's whomever."

Bucky threw the Expo marker with amazing accuracy. It thonked Steve in the forehead and dropped onto his paper, leaving a big blue mark. "I'm an expert on women, not grammar. Let me teach."

"Second thing," Steve pressed on, "Big dick energy?"

"Yeah!" Bucky seemed far too enthusiastic for someone who was casually throwing around the word dick as if he was talking about a renowned actor or a king of England. "Peter taught it to me. It means you exude manliness and you're very masculine, or whatever. Anyway."

Steve groaned. When he had asked Bucky to teach him about how women worked and how you could ask one out, he had not expected a crash course in Bucky's idiocy from the forties. He swore up and down that he was still trying to help Bucky "remember his past" but he just wanted to work on his own future.

"To ask one out, make sure the timing is good." Bucky wrote _timing_ underneath the big line. "If you ask a woman out at the wrong time, such as when you has just crashed her father's very expensive new car, you will get slapped, rejected, and possibly kicked in the balls."

Steve recalled the day Bucky had crashed his date's father's car on the way to a fair and burst out laughing. Another marker smacked into his chest. At least the lesson was helping Bucky too.

"The second thing is how you ask her out." Bucky wrote _method_. He turned to Steve, face completely serious. "Do not ask out a woman by singing your own rendition of 'The Star-Spangled Banner' off key in front of her entire friend group. You will get laughed at, and possibly kicked in the balls."

"Hurry up, Barney Stinson, I have a woman I would love to ask out and I'd really like to know how," Steve griped, throwing the markers back at Bucky. Amazingly, one of them hit Bucky. Steve smirked, a little proud of himself.

Unfortunately, it had hit Bucky's metal arm, so he just picked it up and shot Steve a glare. "I understood that reference, and also, don't throw markers. It's disrespectful. Now, if you want to ask this wonderful-sounding lady out, just walk up to her and say- not scream- the words 'Hey, would you like to go out for ice cream sometime?' Works every time, because you're not implying that it's a date in any way." Bucky folded his arms and gave Steve a smug smile. At least he would have if Steve was still sitting in the back of the room. "Steve?"

The Steve in question was running down the hallway of S.P.E.C.I.A.L. headquarters, looking for the scientist that he couldn't get out of his mind. When he reached the lobby, he spotted Sharon and grabbed her arm. "Sharon, where's the doctor you came to look at the time machine with?"

Sharon gave him a Look. "We have more pressing things to worry about, Steve."

"Like what?" Steve asked. "Other than, you know, the Reaper terrorizing New York City."

"That's the problem," Sharon pulled a note from her pocked. "Our doctor just got back from a coffee date with Sam." Steve's heart sank, but he reminded himself that, technically, he'd been the one to tell you to get coffee. Sharon continued talking, slowly drawing a piece of paper out of her pocket. "But Sam didn't return with her. According to her, the Reaper kidnapped him and left her this note."

Steve grabbed the piece of paper, unfolding it until he could read the words written in blood-red ink. _So much for Captain America_.

His eyes narrowed, his lips pursed, and he threw the note to the ground. Steve looked up as his doctor ran in, looking so scared and yet so dangerously beautiful. "I need my shield," he said, locking eyes with her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Peep me not remembering what branch of the military Sam was in and so just saying military, oops.
> 
> Also Sam is a chai man, and you may fight me.
> 
> I know that shit just went down but bear with me, we'll get to the romance soon enough.


	3. Hero's Duty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve takes up the shield again. His scientist isn't impressed. Nevertheless, he instructs her to pick up his backup soldier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love the movie Wreck-It-Ralph. I love Vanellope Von Schweetz. I love this chapter title.  
> "Hero's Duty" "you said doodie"

The room he had been escorted to was tiny, with only a couch and a coffee table. Steve assumed it was some sort of break room for employees. He definitely needed a break after hearing the news on Sam.

"Mr. Rogers?"

Steve jumped, spinning around to see you standing in the door way. "Oh, hello," he said. "What can I do for you?"

You held out the package you had been carrying. "Agent Carter asked me to bring these to you." Your eyes shone in the lights of the room, giving off an almost magical feel to them. When Steve stepped closer, however, he saw that your eyes were brimming over with tears.

"What's the matter?" he asked, digging around in his pocket for a handkerchief.

At this, you dropped the package and burst into tears, hiding your face in your hands. Steve stopped his search immediately and tilted your chin up. "Don't hide your face," he whispered. "Tell me what's wrong."

You sniffed, dropping your hands to your sides. "It's just... Sam and I went out for coffee and we stayed out all afternoon. When we were... when we decided to leave, Sam... Sam offered to take me back to the compound." You looked Steve dead in the eye, stepping closer to him. "Then _she_ appeared."

Steve tugged you over to the couch and sat, pulling you next to him. He put his arm around your shoulders and, finally finding his handkerchief, wiped away your tears. "Who appeared?"

"The Blue Reaper," you choked out, clutching at Steve's hand like it was a lifeline. "She was after me, I know it. She shot at me but Sam took the dart instead." You sobbed into the handkerchief. "Typical. The first guy Sharon sets me up with that I actually might like, and he gets kidnapped."

Steve's heart dropped into his stomach. "Oh, I'm so sorry," he managed, even though his throat was constricting and he feared that he may never be able to show his face to Sam again. _You liked Sam._

_You liked Sam._

Still, Sam was his best friend, and he couldn't just let him stay kidnapped for the purpose of keeping you close. "I promise," he started, then remembered how easily he had broken a promise to a woman before. But he couldn't turn back now. "I promise that I will do my best to get Sam back."

You threw your arms around him and your cries quieted. "I believe you," you whispered.

Steve relaxed, stroking your hair. "Oh, I almost forgot. What's in the package?"

You laughed. Steve loved your laugh. "Open it," you said, retrieving it from the floor and handing it to him.

"It's not gonna jump at me or anything, right?" he joked, taking it and tearing off the brown paper. He pulled open the flaps of the box and froze. Inside was his old uniform, not the one from the 40s, but the one he'd been wearing when he went into the past.

"If you're gonna wield the shield again, you need a proper suit." You patted the box's side, smiling down at it fondly. "You probably don't remember this, but before S.H.I.E.D. collapsed, Tony asked me to help him design some upgrades for the team. I added the magnets to your suit, as well as Natasha's."

Steve pulled the suit out of the box. "Well, if I'm gonna find Sam, I gotta get to it. New York is a big place." A thought began to form. "Maybe I'll need some help."

You crossed your arms, staring him down. "I appreciate your promise... and your bravery and loyalty towards your friends... but don't you think you deserve a break? Give Bucky the shield, and he can work on the red in his ledger."

He gave you a look. "Sam's my friend, and I chose him to take the shield. If I have to use it to get him back, I'm perfectly fine with taking it up one last time." You still weren't convinced. "Besides, Bucky's done so much for me. It would be wrong to ask him to fight again when he's just gotten an opportunity for a break."

"So then, who's your backup?" You fingered the fabric of the suit, refusing to meet his eye.

"Well, I was hoping you'd come with to look for clues, DNA samples and the like." Your head snapped up and you stared at him, eyes wide. "It'll be okay. I'll protect you."

You shook your head. "It's a good idea, and I'd be happy to, but I meant, like, people with super stuff who can actually fight." You stared down at yourself, wishing you were a little stronger so you could at least use a gun or something.

"Don't worry." Steve gave you a smile. Not a Captain America smile, a Steve smile. Your heart warmed immediately. Steve patted you on the shoulder. "I'll give you an address, you go pick him up. Can you do that for me?"

Could you do that for Steve? Um, yes you could.

"Any way I can help," you promised. "Just know, I'm worried. You deserve a lifetime of rest since you spent a lifetime fighting for the world."

Steve sighed and stood, fingers moving to the buttons on his shirt. "I know. I also know my friend's in danger." He undid the top button and slowly worked his way down.

"What... What are you doing?" you blurted. Steve turned, realizing what he was doing.

"I was going to put the suit back on," he said, shirt hanging open, revealing more of his chest than you ever thought you'd see. _Captain America indeed_...

"Oh." You turned your head away. "I'll just... I'll just go." You stood, scrambling for the door.

"Wait," Steve said. He tore off some of the brown paper and pulled a pen out of his shirt pocket. (So he was one of those men.) "Here." He scribbled an address on the sheet and handed it to you. "Go pick him up, and call me when you've got him and he's safe."

You took the sheet, but your brow furrowed. "I don't have your phone number."

Steve nodded to the paper. You looked it over, and noted that he'd scribbled his number at the bottom. "Thank you."

Before he could actually take his shirt off, you left, slamming the door behind you. Everything that had just happened hit as you hurried to pick up one of the company cars. Steve had a. Partially undressed in front of you and b. Given you his phone number. You shook the feeling of excitement off, reminding yourself that it wasn't fair to Sam.

 _Find the backup, call Steve in a business-like manner, and save Sam. Easy enough_.

You drove into the heart of New York City, passing through different neighborhoods as your GPS beeped out directions. It began to turn you further and further into strange neighborhoods, ones for people that had been displaced by "The Blip" as the news was calling it. You stopped outside of an apartment building and headed in, making sure to double lock the car. Paranoia was a part of being an agent and a scientist, but locking the car until it beeped was, to you, common sense.

The building had no security, no front desk, just a list of people that lived there. You found the name you were looking for and headed to the second floor. The actual apartment took a little longer to find, but you had experiences with apartment buildings, having lived in one yourself after college. Finally, you were knocking on the door of what you hoped was the correct apartment.

A woman opened the door, propping it open with her hip as she leaned against it. "Can I help you?" she asked.

You pulled out your badge from S.P.E.C.I.A.L. and introduced yourself. "I'm looking for your nephew."

She sighed, pushing her hair out of her eyes. Her face twisted in concentration, but she finally turned back and called out, "Peter? There's someone here to see you."

Behind the living room, a door opened and a young man stepped out. He carefully closed the door behind him, but not before you saw the legendary Spider-Man suit laying on his bed. He came over to the door, clearly in no hurry. "Hi," he said, voice timid. "I'm Peter."

You extended your hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Peter." You said your name in return, and he shook your hand.

"Are you going to arrest me?" he asked. For a second, you thought he was joking, but then you saw the fear in your eyes. He reminded you of yourself when you were his age. Scared to leave your house for fear of failing.

"No, Peter, I'm here to help." You held out your badge once again. "A friend of mine is in trouble, and... Well, let's just say Captain America wanted some backup."

Peter's eyes widened. "Can I go?" he asked his aunt, tone changing from scared to excited, just like that.

She sighed, ruffled her nephew's hair, and said, "Go get your suit. And be careful."

He ran to his room, throwing the door open and stuffing his suit into a backpack. Within seconds, he was back at the door. "I'm ready."

You thanked his aunt and led Peter to the car, opening the shotgun door for him. Once you got in the car, you locked the doors and started the engine. "I'm sorry for what happened in London," you said. "For what it's worth, I don't think you're a bad guy."

"That means a lot," Peter said, reaching for his seat belt. "I really appreciate it."

Then you remembered your promise to Steve and picked up your phone, inputting his phone number quickly and then hitting the call button. Realizing you didn't want to kill Peter because you weren't paying attention to the road, you put the phone on speaker. He picked up just as you were pulling out of your parking spot. "Hey, Steve," you greeted him.

Steve immediately asked, "Did you get him?"

"That's Steve Rogers!" Peter interrupted. "I thought he was old and that Mr. Wilson was the new-"

You cut Peter off quickly. "Yeah, I got him. He's excited to be back in the game." Glancing at Peter, you watching him bounce in his seat, clearly eager to talk to Steve again.

Steve laughed. "I can tell. Get him back to the compound and we'll get started searching." His tone warmed. "Be careful."

"I will," you promised. "Bye, Steve." He told you goodbye, and Peter hit the end call button for you.

"So he's back? Is he Captain America again?" Peter fired off questions one after the other, not giving you any time to answer. "Are you guys dating?" He stopped. "Sorry, that was probably really personal. It's just nice to be trusted for once."

You smiled. Peter was the most enthusiastic superhero you'd ever encountered. And he was nice, too. "Um, he's back to normal, but he's just Cap for a while, until we get Sam back. Sam's been kidnapped," you added, the fact that you hadn't even told Peter what was going on hitting you. "And, um, no, Steve and I are not dating."

Peter giggled. "Okay," he sang, turning to the radio. "Can I play some music?"

"Have at it," you said. Peter immediately pressed the on button. A beautiful melody played through the speakers.

"I want some rock," he muttered, messing with the tuning dial. "Where-" he stopped on a news station that was releasing the "newest information on the whereabouts of Mr. Peter Parker, accused of being the murderous vigilante Spider-Man". Immediately, he shut off the radio and slumped back in his seat. "They get closer every day," he mumbled.

Your heart swelled with sympathy for the young man. He had been through so much already and he wasn't even (technically) eighteen.

"Well, we'll just have to move you for a little while, then," you said, turning your head to smile at Peter. He smiled back, but then his eyes widened and his shorter hairs actually stuck up.

"Watch out!" he called, pointing to the road. You turned and almost screamed. Standing in the middle of the road was a soldier with a mask on, but his bleach-blond gave him away. Even worse was the symbol painted on the leather harness crossing his chest. It was a skull surrounded by snake heads.

"Hydra," you choked, just before Quicksilver shot out your tires and you skidded to a stop. Quickly, you pulled out your phone and, slamming on the gas even though that would screw over the wheels even more, you called Steve.

"Steve!" you screamed when he picked up. "Steve, I'm pulling out of Queens, a soldier just shot out my tires but I have to keep driving."

You could hear the clink of the shield as he ran. "I'm on my way! Tracking your car. Who was the soldier, do you know?" Smoke began to leak out of your engine and you coughed, doing your best not to inhale it, but Steve needed to know.

"Our fears have been confirmed," you panted, gesturing for Peter to put on his mask and get ready to fight if need be. "The Blue Reaper figured out the time machine and-" you broke down into coughs as your body fought the smoke filling the cabin, "-she's wasting no time. She brought back Quicksilver. Even worse, I was right."

"What do you mean?"

Taking a second to steady the car, even though it was about to crash, you finally got out. "The Blue Reaper works for Hydra."

In the split second before the car hit the building up ahead, Peter grabbed your waist, punched through the car ceiling, and swung you up to the top of the nearest safe building.

Down below you, the car burst into flames, but Quicksilver hadn't noticed Peter's rapid ascent. He ran up to the car, stopping before the flames could touch him. After a moment, long enough for you to open the sound magnification tech on your phone, he turned and said, "Targets are both dead. I'll go after Rogers next."

Your heart stopped.

 _Steve_.

With trembling fingers, you send the audio to both Steve and Director Fury.

"What are we going to do?" Peter asked, fear apparent in his eyes even behind the mask. 

You squinted into the street, watching Quicksilver disappear at top speeds. Though you had never had the personal pleasure of meeting the Sokovian speedster, you did know his sister, and you were one of the only people unafraid to approach her after his death.

"Call Wanda. We need to get through to him and sway him to our side if possible. And we need to stop the Blue Reaper from bringing... back... anyone else..."

With these brave words, the smoke you'd inhaled overtook your adrenaline and you passed out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Raise your hand if you would die for both Peter Parker and Pietro Maximoff.  
> (Pietro: I would die for-  
> Clint, we know, shut up dumbass)


	4. Hold Fast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve visits his doctor in the hospital. Bucky comes back from recon mission with some new evidence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know if I've told you guys this yet, but I'm also publishing this on Tumblr. Go check it out if you want to! I've also got some stuff on other Marvel things and the Artemis Fowl series. (I'm under the same username there.)

_Wanda sobbed into your shoulder as you stroked her hair. "I couldn't have... It's all my fault."_

_"It's not your fault, Wanda," you assured her, hugging her tightly. "I wish I could have met him. But now we have to make sure that he didn't die in vain. That his sacrifice wasn't for nothing."_

_She wiped away her tears. "I understand. I know we have to keep fighting, I just... I think I need some time."_

_You stood, offering her a tissue from the dispenser on her new dresser. "Yeah. We do."_

_As you turned to leave, ready to go and meet the other initiates to the Avengers, a voice rang out in your head."_

_" време."_

_ "What did you say?" you asked Wanda. But the young woman was frozen, mouth open, breathing heavily. You made your way towards her, but the voice came back, stopping you cold. _

_ " Поништавање.  _ _ Буллет.  _ _ Дете." _

_ Each word felt like a bullet entering your body and you doubled over in pain. Wanda began to scream, a long, drawn out wail of pure agony. The voice only continued, offering neither of you solace. _

_ " Осамнаест.  _ _ Планета.  _ _ Срце." _

_ Wanda's scream stopped, but her mouth continued to move. You watched in horror as she began reciting what you assumed was an English translation. _

_ "Time, undoing, bullet, child, eighteen, planet, heart!" she choked out, gripping her chest and struggling for breath. _

_ "Wanda, fight it!" you cried, recognizing the sequence of words as something like what Hydra had used to brainwash Bucky. Bucky... _

_ You couldn't stop the voice, or Wanda's reply. _

_ " _ _ Сестра."  _

_ "Sister!" _

_ "Дванаест." _

_ "Twelve!" _

_ " _ _ Хидра." _

_ With a gasp, she spoke the final word. "Hydra." _

_ Wanda collapsed, shivering, curled up in a ball on the floor. _

_ "Wanda, come back to me," you implored, struggling to her side and grasping her hand. _

_ She shook her head. "They are not for me," she muttered. _

_ A loud bang signaled the door being thrown open. "They are for me," another voice said. _

_ You looked up just in time to see Pietro Maximoff send a bullet into his own sister's head. _

"Breathe, doll, it was just a nightmare."

Your eyes flew open, scanning the room around you. It was white, with no decorations except some bland curtains covering the window. Steve's face swam into view as you slowly rose into consciousness.

"Steve?" you got out, struggling to sit up. "I... I thought..." Your breath failed you, and you fell into a fit of coughing.

Steve pushed you back down. "Lay back and just breathe. You got a lot of smoke in your lungs. You're lucky Peter got you out when he did." He offered you a cup of water, tilting your head up so you could drink.

You sipped the water, taking careful breaths to try and combat the smoke. "This is why I don't use cigarettes," you got out, giving Steve a weak smile.

"They used to prescribe those for my asthma." He managed to crack a smile too. "Huge wake-up call when I got to this century and they showed me all the different types of cancer I could have gotten."

"No shit?" you laughed, which caused you to cough again. This time, Steve helped you sit up so you could breathe properly. You watched him carefully, trying to discern if he was angry at you for, you know, almost dying and whatnot. Finally, you asked, "What happened?"

Steve sighed, sitting back in his chair. "You inhaled too much smoke from the car and passed out. Peter got you back here in time for the doctors to get most of the stuff out of your lungs. Buck and I ran to try and catch Maximoff and find where the Reaper's been hiding, but..." He shook his head. "I think there's a reason the Reaper wanted him. He got away far too quickly for us."

You coughed again, reaching for the water cup. Taking a couple of sips, you asked, "Sam?" but feared you already knew the answer.

His slight smile dropped and he reached for your hand. "I'm sorry. We looked everywhere in the vicinity, but..."

"We have to find him," you croaked. "I don't want him to die."

Steve nodded. "I know we do." He fell silent, playing with the hem of your bed sheets. After a minute, he looked up. "If you don't mind me asking, what was your nightmare about?"

You winced. "I... I don't know how to answer that..." You trailed off, wishing that you could just transfer your nightmare to him. It might be a little hard to explain...

"Wanda," you finally said. "Can you bring Wanda here, please?"

Steve nodded. "Of course." He stood and headed for the door. It shut behind him and you let out a sigh of relief. Getting questioned by the Captain and hearing the news, on top of your nightmare... It felt horrible. _Was this the daily life of an Avenger?_

The door opened again and you jumped. Steve couldn't have found Wanda that quickly. It wasn't Steve coming back, however.

"Hey," Peter said, pushing the door open all the way. "Can I come in?"

"Of course." You scooted over so he could sit on the mattress. Peter closed the door and shuffled inside, looking for all the world like a lost puppy dog pawing at the door of a house in the rain. "Hey, thanks for saving my life, by the way."

Peter sat down, staring at his hands. "You're welcome. I... I'm glad that you made it."

Poor Peter. The kid had been through so much and he was only... sixteen? Seventeen? However old he was, his eyes seemed to say that he was a hundred years old. "Peter, did you see anything after I passed out?"

"Yes!" Talking about clues he had found would be a good distraction for him. You leaned forward, locking your eyes on his. "When Quicksilver ran off, he went..." Peter closed his eyes, fingers moving as if tracing over his memories. "Southwest from where we were. Steve... I mean Mr. Rogers... He has our coordinates. If I went back there I could... It's kinda my Peter tingle... I mean my Spidey sense."

You grinned. "That's perfect, Peter! See, we're getting closer and closer every day."

Peter beamed, throwing his arms around you and squeezing. "Thank you... I just want to be of some help. Even if the world believes that Spider-Man is a bad guy, I'm glad you don't."

"Of course I don't, Peter. The director and Steve and I all know better. You're a good person, Peter." You smiled down at him, squeezing him tighter.

Peter froze, slowly backing away from you. "I... I..."

"What? Did I say something? I'm sorry," you quickly said. You took Peter's hand and squeezed it.

"You're fine, it's just... That's what he said to me. Right before he died." Peter looked away, pulling his hand back and folding them in his lap.

The door opened again, stopping you from responding and/or jumping out the window so you could go to the afterlife and kick Quentin Beck's ass. Steve entered the room, Wanda trailing behind him. "Hi, Peter," he greeted, ruffling Peter's hair. "You know of Miss Maximoff, right?"

Peter nodded, wiping tears from his eyes. "Hi." He held out a hand timidly. Wanda took it and her eyes almost immediately watered too.

"I'm so sorry," she apologized. "I can't help it." She touched Peter's forehead and he immediately relaxed, a smile crossing his face.

"That looks like a lot of fun," he said. "When was that?"

Wanda returned his smile, taking away her hand. "When we were young. We got a dog and Pietro loved to play with it."

"Wanda." Steve gestured to you. "She was asking for you."

"Alright." Wanda walked around the bed and sat down. "What do you need?"

You put on your best puppy dog eyes and said, "I had a nightmare and I thought it would be easier to show Steve instead of tell him."

Wanda immediately took your hand. "Call up the nightmare and I will transfer it to Steve." She reached out and squeezed Steve's wrist, pulling him a little closer. "Whenever you are ready."

Taking a deep breath, you recalled the nightmare. How it had started, what had happened. By the end of it, Wanda was struggling to keep her concentration and Steve's forehead was glistening from sweat. Still, they both held on tightly. When it was over, Wanda wrapped her arms around you.

"That's horrifying. I'm so sorry," she apologized. Steve crossed to you and laid a heavy hand on your head.

"Are you okay?" he asked, quieting his voice. You nodded, but with the nightmare now fresh in your head, you felt yourself leaning towards crying.

Steve sat in the chair and fell silent, the four of you letting everything sink in. Silence descended on you as you tried to think of what to say and how to say it without sobbing.

Fortunately, you were saved by a knock. A slightly beat-up Bucky appeared at the door, clutching a book in his hands. "We got a problem."

Steve jumped to his feet. "What's up, Bucky?"

Bucky strode inside, holding up the. "This is a book I found at the scene of the car crash. Maximoff dropped it in his haste to get away. From what I can gather, it's a copy of the original, possibly written by the Reaper."

"This looks like Hydra's Winter Soldier instruction manual," Steve said, taking the book and flipping through it. "It looks like a regular notebook."

Wanda took the book and opened it to a random page. "This is my brother's handwriting," she said. "I would agree that this is a copy."

"So what's it say?" Peter piped up.

Bucky took the book back, flipping to the very back. "I found this list of words." He began reading, and Steve swallowed nervously.

"Those are the words in her nightmare," he said, gesturing to you.

Bucky glanced at you, then at Steve. "A nightmare?"

Wanda grabbed it, reading over the list. "The exact same. This means..."

"The Blue Reaper has figured out how to utilize the techniques Hydra used to turn me into... him." Bucky spit out the last word, the idea sharp on his tongue.

"So she created another Winter Soldier?" Peter asked, scooting over to look over Wanda's shoulder. "That's messed up."

Steve bit his lip. "As messed up as it is, Peter, it's likely what happened. And it means that the Blue Reaper likely wants to reassemble the Winter Soldiers, including Bucky, and finish what Hydra started."

"She doesn't even need the time machine," you added, turning back another page. "These are Bucky's words."

Slowly, Bucky held his hand out for the notebook. "I didn't see that." He scanned the page and his shoulders tensed. Steve moved to grip his best friend's shoulder, but Bucky moved away. "These are my words. The exact same."

Steve winced. You grabbed Wanda's arm and slowly moved to sit on your feet. "She wasn't going for Sam when he and I saw her."

Bucky nodded. "She was going for you. She knew that Steve and Sam and I would've gone after you."

"But now she has Sam, and we don't have a choice but to go rescue him," Steve muttered. He turned to Bucky. "I can't ask you to fight for me again."

"You don't have to," Bucky said, finally reaching out for Steve. "I'm going with you."

Steve shook his head. "She's trying to get you, Buck. Not happening."

"But-"

"As your leader and Captain, that's an order. You will stay at the compound and look after..." Steve trailed off, his eyes flicking to you. "Look after her. Make sure the Reaper doesn't try to take her as well."

Bucky nodded. "And Maximoff?"

Peter shakily stood and set a hand on Wanda's shoulder. "There should be a word in there, kinda like a full stop button. If I remember from history class, Bucky's was 'Sputnik'. Find the one for Pietro."

"And if you cannot find it or it doesn't work," Wanda added hesitantly, "shoot with an aim to incapacitate, not kill."

You gritted your teeth. Of course, now that there was a chance for her to see Pietro again, she would hesitate when facing him down.

"I think Pietro will head here," Bucky added. "He probably didn't know that you picked up Peter, so he was trying to shoot you down. The timing is off for him to be after Peter."

Wanda stood. "Then I will stay here. I believe that I can get through to my brother, as you did for Bucky," she said, nodding to Steve.

Bucky nodded. "Then that's-"

"I'll go with Captain Rogers," Peter interrupted, his shoulders tensing. "Don't argue, you know I can fight."

Steve laid a hand on Peter's shoulder. "If I tell you to get the hell out, you'll do so, understand? That's my one condition."

Peter nodded.

Steve turned back to you. "Just a recon mission, then if Pietro doesn't show up here, Bucky and Peter and I will go for Sam. If he does, I'll call in Agent Carter and see if I can contact anyone else, and we go for Sam anyway, but Bucky stays behind."

Wanda and Bucky both nodded once in agreement. "Let's go grab some shitty hospital food," Bucky suggested to Wanda.

"Suit up, everyone," Steve ordered, and he and Peter left.

Wanda touched your shoulder. "Get some rest. Bucky and I will patrol the area."  


You bit your lip, fear slowly incapacitating your limbs. If the Reaper was after you... how could your friends stop her? Still, you let the two leave, laying back and closing your eyes halfway. The door shut behind the four superheroes. Just before you drifted off, the door opened again and Steve hurried back to your side. He leaned down and whispered, "Everything's going to be okay," then planted a quick kiss on your forehead, hand touching your neck. As he left, your eyes closed and you slipped into dreamland.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Canonically, Pietro and Wanda speak Serbian. (At least in the comics.) That's the language I used for the sequence of words. If you read/speak Serbian, I'm sorry if I messed anything up.


	5. Odds of Change

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A chance encounter with the Blue Reaper leaves Steve confused and guilty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for what's about to happen.
> 
> No I don't. HAHAHAHAHAHA.

Peter pulled his mask up over his face, revealing his mouth and nose. "Is this going to be a firefight, Mr. Rogers?"

Steve bit his lip, checking over his suit to make sure there weren't any rips or breaks. "I gotta be honest with you, kid, I don't know. We could be walking into a trap. Actually, we are almost certainly walking into a trap."

Peter shrugged. "As long as I don't get hit by a train, I'm good."

Gallows humor. Steve winced, thinking back to Peter's reports on the events in Europe. "If we follow the clues, they're leading us away from the subway, so I think we're gonna be okay for a while."

"Okay." Peter fell silent, slowly recovering his face with his mask. "Mr. Rogers?"

"Yeah?" Steve turned to Peter, focusing on the kid. "What is it, Peter?"

"Do you think they'll ever believe me?" He gestured down to the streets of New York City. "The public. About what happened in London."

Steve shrugged. "One of my biggest regrets is keeping a huge secret from Tony. When he... When he used the stones, he probably still didn't trust me at all. He never called me, but I wish I'd been able to help him somehow." He saw the mask's eyes widen out of the corner of his eye, and he realized who he was talking to. "Sorry, Peter, you shouldn't have to deal with adult drama yet."

Peter glanced down at the ledge he was perched on. "It's better than school drama. Which I don't get anymore because no one talks to me, not even Ned or MJ. I'm the school drama." He looked back up at Steve. "Is that what Germany was about? What's the secret? If I knew maybe I could help, MJ says I'm good at distress calls except when they're my own-"

"It's nothing, Pete. Don't worry." Steve gently touched Peter's shoulder. "Are you okay?"

Muffled sobs came from behind the mask. "No."

Steve nodded to the streets below. "All those people have phones down there. I'd hate to make this a publicity stunt, but why don't we take a more public route to follow our clues?"

Peter pulled up his mask to swipe at his eyes. "You'd risk your rep for me?"

"Hey." Steve grinned down at Peter, climbing onto the ledge and readying his shield. "I'm America's Golden Boy. And a war criminal, but that's beside the point. Your pictures of me holding Mjio... Mew... the hammer really helped. Also, why did you have you cell phone on you at the time?"

"Because it was in my backpack, and then I stuffed it into my suit but it started slipping so it was kinda near-"

Steve cut him off with a wave of his hand. "No more details, I think I got the picture. Ready?"

Peter jumped to his feet and adjusted his mask, bouncing lightly in place. "Ready as I'll ever be."

Both took a deep breath and jumped off the building. Peter shot a web to the opposite side of the street and threw it to Steve, then shot one for himself. The two of them scrambled down the side of the building, Steve relying more heavily on the web than Peter. Several times, he swore it would snap in half, but the sticky stuff held fast.

When they reached the street, Steve patted Peter on the back as pedestrians stared. "You just... I'm never doing that again. I'll stick to shield landings." Phone cameras began flashing and Steve was quick to start jogging, pulling Peter behind him.

"That's Spider-Man! Get him!" somebody shouted, and a mob began to form.

"Shitshitshitshitshitshitshit," Peter groaned, taking off and quickly passing Steve. "Maybe next time the back alleys are a good idea?"

Steve swore under his breath, the phrase containing a couple of words he didn't want a seventeen-year-old kid to hear. "I got this." He skidded to a stop and turned to face the mob. "People of New York!"

The crowd stopped where they were, some of them knocking others over. Steve resisted the urge to slam his head into the nearest piece of concrete. "You have been terrorized by the possibility of a new threat. The Blue Reaper kills without mercy and without motive. She has kidnapped the man that I passed this shield-" Steve held up the shield, drawing gasps from the onlookers, "-to, and has used the time travel technology she stole to bring back an old friend of ours. On top of that, she turned him into an enemy using the same programming Hydra once used to brainwash James Buchanan Barnes."

Peter watched, amazed at the sudden turn of events and Steve's impromptu speech. _Captain America indeed!_

Steve continued, "Spider-Man and I are on our way to make sure that Sam Wilson, your new Captain America, is rescued before the same fate can befall him. Now, many of you do not trust Spider-Man due to recent events. I say that that video was as doctored as J.J. Jameson's face. The man has had it out for Spider-Man since day one, and the Daily Bugle is the least credible news site I've ever seen." He stopped, taking in a deep breath. "Now, Spider-Man and I have to find our friend and get him back to HQ, if you don't mind." Steve turned away, ignoring the shocked looks of the crowd. "Come on, Spidey."

The pair rushed off, Peter swinging through the streets and Steve not far behind.

"Hey, Cap?" Peter called from the air. "I just wanna thank you for that." He dropped to the street and began running, still fast enough to keep up with Steve.

"Don't thank me. You could have done better," Steve waved him off. "Let's save our breath for the fight, shall we?"

Peter nodded in agreement, shooting off another web and taking off. He scanned the city for any sign of a blue streak, making sure to watch each alleyway closely. Steve followed behind him, clearly trusting the web-shooter's instincts and spidey-sense.

After another couple of blocks, Steve turned the corner and stopped, holding up a hand. Peter landed next to him, giving him a quick side-eye. "Why are we stopped? The signs are getting more prominent."

"That's why we've stopped. From here, we proceed on foot and slowly." Steve took a careful step onto the next slab of pavement. "Come on. Slowly."

Peter followed, staying behind Steve and watching his feet, keeping an eye out for traps. "This is kinda scary," he whispered.

Steve shot a look over his shoulder. "And quietly," he added, amending his earlier statement.

Quickly, Peter signed, "sorry", and shut his mouth.

Two more pavement blocks and Steve pointed down an alleyway, where blue spray paint was just visible enough for them to see. By the time they reached it, however, the alleyway was totally dark. "Dammit," Steve cursed, running his finger over the wall.

"Don't worry, I got this." Steve turned around just in time to see Peter snap a glow stick. It immediately illuminated the space around them, giving them enough light to see each other and the paint.

"Why do you have... Where were you... You know what, forget it." Steve took the glow stick and ran it over the paint, following the drips down to a sewer grate. "Help me pry this up." He stuck the glow stick in between his teeth and tugged on the grate, gesturing for Peter to help. Together, they quietly lifted the grate and set it off to the side. Steve stuck one foot in and it landed on the rung of what he hoped was a very strong ladder. He started down, waving Peter towards the passage as well.

The bottom of the ladder brought Steve into a small room with two hallways leading in opposite directions. Screams were coming from somewhere, but even with enhanced hearing he couldn't tell if it was in the left hallway or right hallway.

"Which side you want?" Peter piped up, jumping down from the ladder.

"Split up?" Steve pulled his shield off his back, readying it in case of guards or a fight. "That doesn't sound like a-"

Peter shook his head. "Just trust me. I have a tingle about it." He started down the left-side hallway, leaving Steve the right. "Meet back here in thirty minutes if you don't find anything and we'll regroup!"

Steve watched Peter go, mentally kicking himself for bringing Peter and not Bucky. Bucky would have searched each hallway with Steve, but maybe Peter was right. They needed to get in and out undetected, and less time in this odd place would help with that. Steeling himself, Steve started down the right hallway.

It quickly became apparent that the passageways were some sort of maze. The next room he came upon had two options, left or right. Steve drew a line in the dirt with his boot where he'd come from and checked the right hallway first. It dead-ended after about thirty seconds of walking, and Steve hurried down the left hallway.

 _Right, left, left, right, right, right._ Steve had no choice but to guess each time. Sometimes he guessed right, sometimes he guessed wrong. At some of the dead ends were obstacles, guards or soldiers that he quickly and stealthily knocked out. He checked his watch as he hurried down another tunnel. Ten minutes had passed. He was wasting time. Hypothetically, the maze should be easier to leave than to enter, but he knew that if this lead to another room, he would have to go back and wait for Peter.

Up ahead, he spotted a light burning and his movements slowed. The first sign of someone being down here other than the guards, and he wasn't about to waste the element of surprise. Steve crept into the room, which was lit by two dim lights on either side of a disused fireplace. About twenty feet up, attached to the ceiling, was a metal cage.

In it was Sam.

Sam spotted him immediately, but both knew better than to call out for their friend. Instead, Steve began scanning the walls, looking for a way up.

"I wouldn't bother, Captain," a metallic voice came from the other end of the room. Steve's head snapped to the fireplace, which now had an opening above it. _Villains and their need for dramatic entrances_. In the opening stood a woman, with a mask covering all of her face except for her mouth, much like Steve's. Mirrored goggles allowed her to see out through the mask. Her blonde hair popped out of the back in a high ponytail. A collar encircled her neck, which Steve figured must contain a voice box that was modifying her voice. Hiding her identity. The rest of her body was covered in a blue-black spandex suit, and she wore black ballet slippers.

The irony that she looked quite a bit like Natasha did not escape Steve.

"I knew you'd come for your friend, but I didn't expect you to bring company. He's probably trying to figure out how to fight off my latest addition to my troops." She hopped down from the fireplace, landing as silently as a cat. "I don't believe introductions are needed, as our reputations proceed both of us." She held out her hand, and a scythe, sharp and deadly, flew from the corner of the room.

"The Blue Reaper." Steve tensed. He hadn't expected to encounter the Reaper herself, perhaps a few of her guards, but that was it. "Are you affiliated with Hydra?"

Across from Steve, the panel concealing her hidden door slid shut and a screen flickered to life. On it was security footage of what had to be the other tunnel. Peter appeared, shooting webs at a man with two handguns and a hardened smile on his face.

"Quentin Beck," Steve said, quickly dropping into a battle stance. "But he's dead."

"As you have seen with Maximoff, death does not stop the Reaper." She stood tall, swinging her scythe behind her. "Though I prefer guns, this is a bit more for the public." Her laugh was cold and calculated, bouncing off the chamber walls. "Speaking of Maximoff, I'd get out of here if I were you. He might hurt your little girlfriend."

Steve focused on Sam's heaving breathing, keeping his eyes on the Reaper. "Let Sam go. And leave her alone!"

The Reaper laughed again. "You should know by now that diplomacy never works with villains."

"So you acknowledge you're a villain," Steve quipped, voice grim.

She only scoffed and snapped her fingers. Sam's cage began to retreat into the ceiling. "I'm not going to let you have your friend back today. Maybe once he's on my side I'll set him loose in your headquarters and then-" She drew her scythe across her throat, grinning at Steve. He shivered, but raised his shield. To his surprise, the Reaper kicked her scythe away, stuck her hand in a pocket of the spandex, and waltzed up to him, drawing her hand back out. Before he could react, she opened her hand and blew a powdery substance in his face. Steve coughed, feeling him limbs go limp, and his shield fell to the floor.

"All men eventually fall to the Reaper," she giggled, twisting her fingers into his suit and pulling him into a kiss.

Steve knew he should push her away, stop her, kick her, hit her while she was vulnerable but he just couldn't do it, _just couldn't do it._ Her lips were suddenly the softest he's ever felt, softer than Peggy's, softer even than Bucky's when he'd kissed him on a dare back in the 40's, softer than _hers_ could be...

The Reaper pulled Steve backwards, still kissing him, and let him pin her to the wall. "Forget your friends, Captain. It's just you and me here. Forget that common bitch you say you could love someday. She likes Sam and you know it."

He knew she was right. _She likes Sam._ Steve let the Reaper switch them, let himself be pinned to the wall and let her slide her legs around his waist-

"Get off him!"

A web yanked the Reaper away from Steve, sending her flying into the wall. Her head crashed into the stone and she crumpled, unconscious. Steve's hand flew to his mouth, trying to block his thoughts and possibly the bile curling in his throat.

"Are you okay?" Peter asked, quickly retrieving the shield. "What did she get you with? I know you wouldn't just do that..."

"I need to... I need..." Steve started to stagger towards her, but something hit him in the head, hard.

Peter watched Steve fall down and sighed, beginning to build a backpack of sorts out of webs. "I'm sorry, Captain, but Mr. Barnes said that Miss Romanoff told him that cognitive recalibration is the best way to go about this..."

He hauled Steve onto his back, grunting from the effort, and quickly made his way out of the tunnels and back into the streets of New York.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know, because 5 is my lucky number I try not to have things go to shit in chapter five but I made an exception. I'm sorry.
> 
> No I'm not. HA.


	6. Run Fast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pietro shows up at the Tower, just as the Reaper promised. However, you're not there to witness it.  
> Peter arrives back at HQ, dragging a barely-conscious Steve behind him. Dr. Banner has some interesting diagnoses for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who's on board for the Dr. Strange movie to contain Pietro?

Wanda tapped Bucky on the arm as he passed. "I can sense him," she warned. "He moves fast."

"That's kinda his power," Bucky muttered, but took off towards the bottom floor nevertheless. Wanda turned to the window, scanning the street below. Without any warning, her hand shot out and a figure down on the sidewalk froze.

"It is him," she gasped, but maintained her hold. "Bucky! I've got him frozen. Detain him, both hands and feet."

"Roger that, Wanda," Bucky replied. Wanda could hear footsteps in his comms, then he appeared on the street and locked Pietro's hands behind his back. Bucky kicked Pietro to the ground to lock his ankles together and Wanda winced.

Still, if cognitive recalibration would work...

Bucky brought Pietro up to the floor she was on and set him down on a chair. Wanda stared at her brother, muscles tense, while Bucky tied him to the chair.

"You think this will keep me from running?" Pietro spit, glaring up at his sister with no sign of recognition.

"No." Wanda said, crouching down low and kneeling in front of him. "But I think this might."

She reached out her hand and Pietro screamed in pain. Bucky watched in awe as what were likely memories of the twins' past together flowed between them. "Why the hell didn't we get her down to Wakanda when my brain was split in two?" he wondered aloud.

"Perhaps it was because I was on the run... Due to... Your friend... Needing to prove... That he was right." Wanda gasped, managing to keep contact between her mind and her brother's.

"You've got a point," Bucky said. As Pietro struggled against the overload of memories, he went back to the window, confident in Wanda's ability. Scanning the street below, he spotted a kid in red spandex making his way through the streets. "It's Peter, he's back, but..." Bucky watched the crowd part like the damn Red Sea before Peter, and as he got closer, Bucky saw that he was carrying Steve on his back.

Without hesitation, Bucky headed right for the door. "Steve's incapacitated. You got this guy?" Wanda nodded. "I gotta go."

Bucky sprinted down flights of stairs, the elevator being too slow for him. He reached the bottom floor in about twenty seconds, a much shorter time than normal. (It might have helped that he swung himself into the empty space in the middle and let himself fall for a few floors before catching a railing and repeating the action.) When he reached the ground floor, he sprinted to the revolving door just in time to catch Peter trying to squeeze through.

"What the hell happened?" he asked, dragging Peter and Steve inside. "What's up with him?"

Steve's head lolled back and he muttered a few incomprehensible words, possibly in another language. Bucky dragged his friend over to one of the lobby's armchairs and left him there, turning back to Peter. "Talk, kid."

Peter shrunk back, but timidly said, "Well, we went into this underground maze and I went one way and he went the other. I got trapped in a room with... With Quentin Beck, and I had to fight him off. It was really scary cause he knew what I'd done to him because the Reaper showed him some footage or whatever, so he was out for... For my blood." Peter paused to take a deep breath, shoulders shuddering. "There was a screen in there, showing me what Steve was doing. He found Sam but then the Reaper showed up and she took Sam away and then she opened her hand and it had this powdery stuff in there and she blew it at him and then she..." Peter trailed off, eyes filling with tears.

Bucky relaxed immediately, hurrying over to Peter and guiding him to an armchair next to Steve. "Take your time, it's okay. But we need to know everything to form a clear plan of what to do next."

"Okay... okay..." Peter inhaled sharply, and tears started to roll down his cheeks. "The Blue Reaper had a... What's the stupid word... An aphrodisiac on her powerful enough to take down a super soldier. So she... She kissed him and he was kissing her back, and I remember just hauling off and kicking Beck in the head, then I ran back and got Steve and pulled her off him, and then Steve was still trying to get to her, and..." Tears were flowing down Peter's cheeks and he began sobbing, drawing in short breaths and then hiccuping them out.

"I think you're having a panic attack," Bucky said, offering a hand to Peter. "Let's get you and this lump of patriotism to the infirmary, yeah?"

Peter nodded, still trying to get his breath back, took Bucky's hand, and stood shakily.

"Peter?"

You entered the lobby through the door, still in your hospital gown and barefoot. "What's going on?" you asked.

Steve's eyes flew open and he scrambled towards you, on his hands and knees. The way he said your name made Bucky's skin crawl, like it was involuntary or drawn from his throat. "You don't like Sam, right? You like me. God, please tell me you like me."

You took a step back so Steve's hands fell short of your gown. "What the hell happened to him?"

"How did you get out of the hospital room?" Bucky asked.

"I don't remember. I think it was the Reaper or..." You trailed off, pressing the back of your hand to your forehead.

"Or Maximoff got his job done without us noticing," Bucky muttered. "I knew we caught him too easily." He dropped Peter's hand and hurried over to you. "You're burning up. What... What do you remember?"

You shivered. "I remember... waking up in a cold room, and this metal-sounding voice kept saying to me, 'Your Captain will pay, you will pay, and your precious Sam will pay'. Someone shot something into my arm and I passed out. I must have escaped somehow because next thing I knew I was on the streets of Queens, back at the place where I crashed the car. I tried to find my way back here but no one gave me directions." You laughed hollowly. "I guess I must look like an insane asylum patient."

Bucky pressed his metal hand to your forehead. It was blazing hot to the touch, and the little screen on the back of it read your temperature.

103.8.

He did the same to Steve and came up with 101.7. "Whatever she hit you guys with, it's increasing your body temperature dramatically. How did you make it back here without passing out?"

You shook your head. "I don't know. It's all a blur."

Peter, still shaking, ran for you and threw his arms around you. "I'm glad you're safe," he sobbed, shaking from head to toe.

"Is he having a panic attack?" you asked Bucky.

Bucky nodded. "Can you walk to the infirmary? I gotta carry Steve and I can't carry three people."

You bit your lip and gave him a quick nod, then directed Peter towards the infirmary. "Let's go, Petey. They're gonna tell us what's wrong. It's okay."

The walk felt longer with each passing second. To Bucky, it felt like it was taking hours to walk the short hallway to get the three of you medical attention. The instant you got in the door, doctors swarmed you, taking Peter over to where Wanda was sitting with a sleeping Pietro, and directing you and Steve through the doors to Dr. Banner's lab.

"Is he okay?" Bucky asked Wanda, hurrying over to the bed where Pietro lay.

Wanda nodded, squeezing her brother's hand. "I stopped the flow and he looked at me and said, 'Wanda, I'm sorry', and then he passed out. I brought him here, but it was hard. He is heavy."

"Most of that's probably muscle," Bucky commented. "He's pretty lean."

"He's a runner," Wanda said, and her tense form told Bucky that the conversation was over. He turned to Peter instead, sitting in the chair next to the kid's bed. A doctor put a ventilator over his face, forcing Peter to breathe slower. Bucky had to lean in to hear what Peter had to say since the mask muffled his words.

Peter looked up at Bucky, brown eyes wide. "Mr. Barnes, I'm scared." He lifted his hand and gestured vaguely to the doors. "They've both saved my life and I feel like it's my fault that Steve got hit with that stuff. I said we should split up."

Bucky shook his head. "It's not your fault, kid." He grabbed Peter's hand and placed it back on the bed. "Don't worry about it."

Peter turned to look over at Wanda. "Is that her brother?" he asked. Bucky placed his fingers on the inside of Peter's wrist and felt his's heart rate calm down. "Can I... Can I sit with Wanda?"

"Can you breathe normally?" Bucky asked. Peter nodded and Bucky helped him sit up and take off the mask. Peter slowly walked over to sit in the chair on the other side of Pietro's bed.

"What happened to him? I mean... How did he die?" Peter stared down at the boy's sleeping face, eyes flickering up to Wanda.

Wanda seemed more than happy to entertain Peter with stories about her and her brother, even if it was about Pietro's original death. Bucky flopped onto the bed Peter had just occupied, leaning his head into his hands and taking a deep breath in. It had been a very long day.

"The good news is, you're both fine," Dr. Banner told you. "But we took some blood samples and it turns out the Reaper, just like Peter said, does have an aphrodisiac strong enough to knock out a super soldier. Your temperature is higher because she used the same strength of the drug on you, so it's affecting you more." He set the Hulk-sized clipboard on his desk, occasionally glancing back at it.

"So we just wait it out?" you asked, pressing your hand back to your forehead. Already it felt hotter than a half hour ago.

Banner hesitated. "It seems that way, unless you find a way to get it out of your system faster."

You gritted your teeth, resigning yourself to sitting on a bed in the same room as a very attractive man until this passed. An idea struck you. "May I go back to my room?"

"That may be wise after a little while, but I think you and Steve should both stay here so I can keep you under observation. We don't know a lot about this drug, so we need to be able to learn more." Banner collected his things and left. The door locked behind him.

"Damn." You headed back to the cot that the doctors had left out for you. "If I could just go back to my stupid in-house studio I would be fine."

Steve coughed, drawing your attention. "I'm sorry for what happened in the lobby, I don't know what came over me." He scooted himself up onto his elbows and he glanced over at you.

You shook your head, moving to sit up against the wall. "I do. If it's the drug talking, I get it. I get whistled at on the street all the time." You put on a low voice, mimicking men that tried to catcall you. "'Hey, pretty lady! Cute lab coat, I wonder what's under it'."

"That's awful, I'm sorry," Steve said, sitting up as well. "Do you ever drive to work?"

"Don't have a car." You looked down at your hands, squeezing them together. Pain began to curl in your lower abdomen. "I can't... This is a high-paying job but... I'm saving for... The future." You gasped for breath, the pain spreading to your legs and chest. "Fuck!" Your head slammed into the wall and your breath came in short pants.

Steve's brow furrowed. "What's wrong?"

"It hurts, it hurts, ah, fuck, it hurts!" You thrashed on the bed, screaming in pain. "Banner! Ah, fuck!" You could feel wetness gathering between your legs and decided to strangle Banner later, because locking you in a room with Steve Rogers while very high on a sex drug was a bad idea.

"Hey, take deep breaths," Steve tried to reassure you from the other bed, but you couldn't hear him over the ringing in your ears. "It's okay, just..." Steve trailed off as he realized he didn't know what to say. So instead, he just whispered your name as the pain started in his stomach too. "Fucking Christ!" His head slammed back into the wall.

You rolled out of bed, curling up on the floor and bursting into sobs. Dr. Banner's words came back to you as you looked up at Steve through the tears.

_It seems that way, unless you find a way to get it out of your system faster._

"Steve. Steve, Steve." You scrambled over to his bed and grabbed his wrist. "Steve, look at me."

Steve looked down at you through glassy eyes. "Are we going to die?" he said, his voice strained. Looking over him, you saw, for the first time ever, true fear in his eyes.

"Not on my watch," you panted, climbing onto the bed with him. "You just got your life back, you are not dying." You straddled Steve, pressing your hands down on his shoulder. "Come on, Steve. Banner said that there might be another way to..." You breathed a sigh of relief as the pain eased. Your hips involuntarily pressed down into Steve and you both groaned.

"To fight it off," Steve finished. "God, if you want... I haven't since..." He looked away, beautiful blue eyes filling with tears.

You rocked your hips again, leaning down to press a kiss into his collarbone. "It's survival, Steve. I don't care if you're... Out of practice."

Steve lifted your head by means of pulling at your hair, tugging until you were hovering over him. "Say it, doll. Say it."

"Fuck me, Steve."

He tightened his grip on your hair and yanked you down into a kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know how to spell aphrodisiac so I looked it up and then just Ctrl C Ctrl V-ed every time I needed the word.


	7. Hell's Heat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Steve manage to quell the pain.  
> Peter is on guard duty to make sure Pietro won't run or lose his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the smut chapter, and if you don't want to read it, you may skip down to the indicated space. (Should be five lines in a row if the formatting worked.) I've put a brief synopsis of the only super important detail that you need to know in the end notes, so if you want spoilers before you read the smut, they're down there.  
> (as is steve's dick amirite *high fives self*)

Your head was spinning.

Steve's lips tasted like strawberries and cinnamon and were so damn soft and perfect. He cupped your chin and squeezed gently, forcing you to open your mouth. His tongue slid between your lips, carefully mapping out the inside of your mouth. "Damn," he whispered, pulling back. "Doll, you gotta get that mouth around my cock."

You felt yourself turn red, hovering above Steve, hips barely touching his. "Gotta... Get these stupid clothes... Off first... Too hot, Steve..."

"God, yes." He pushed you back, tugging at his suit until the buckles came loose and he could shrug the harness off. You helped him to take off the leather shirt and pants, clawing at them until red marks appeared on the newly exposed skin. Steve ripped at your hospital gown, somehow managing to not tear it as he pulled it off and over your head. "So beautiful," he whispered, dotting kisses along your chest. You heaved in a breath, toes clenching as his fingers closed around your nipple.

"Steve!" you cried, arching your back into his hand. "Yes, more!" The pain in your stomach was dissipating, and you could feel it going away more and more as Steve touched you. "So good, Steve..."

"You gonna..." Steve trailed off, his voice faltering as he let go of you to quickly get himself down to his boxers. "Can women...?"

You grabbed his hand as he was tossing away his socks and laid back, putting his hand down between your legs. "If you touch 'em right," you said, winking at him.

Steve whimpered, unsure of himself. "I don't know how..."

"I'll show you." You took away his hand to discard your thin underwear, leaving Steve's boxers as the only piece of clothing between the two of you. "Come on, don't be shy."

Tentatively, Steve prodded your lower lips, sliding them apart and dipping his finger into the wetness he found. "You're so soaked, baby," he cooed, confidence building. He slid his finger into you up to the first knuckle. You squeaked, unused to the feeling of someone else's hand inside of you. It had been way too long...

"Steve."

He looked up at you with huge eyes, slipping his hand away. "What should I do?" he asked, looking back down with uncertainty.

You grabbed his hand and put it between your legs again, moaning at the feel of his rough skin. "Put your fingers in me, Steve." He did as you asked and you cried out, snapping your hips forward. "Yes! Just like that, yes, Steve. Move them. Oh, Steve, so good..."

Steve thrust his finger in further, then pulled it back out. "Can I..." He looked back up at you. "Can I put my mouth on you?"

"Yes, please, Steve, please," you begged, not bothering to acknowledge his bluntness. He just felt so good, and when his mouth closed over your clit you outright screamed and a wave of pleasure rocked your body as you came into his hand and mouth. "Steve! Steve, Steve," you whispered, falling back onto the cot and gasping for air.

He waited for a little bit until you pulled him up your body and into another kiss. This time, he tasted salty and his mouth was softer yet. "Steve, fuck me, please," you whispered as he pulled away.

"Gotta get inside you, doll, but I don't know if I'm..." he glanced down at his own body, staring at his boxers. Steve sat against the wall, pausing to catch his breath.

"You don't know if you're hard enough?" you asked, scooting back to sit between his legs.

Steve shook his head.

"Lift your hips, _Captain_."

Oh, yeah. He liked that, if the way he was looking at you said anything about it. Steve slowly raised his hips and you teased his boxers off of him, watching in amazement as his cock sprang free. The serum hadn't just done wonders for his physique and personality, you knew that now.

"Steve, you're so..." you leaned forward, grasping his half-hardened cock in your hand, stroking him gently. Steve let out a quiet hiss, tilting his hips up, silently begging for you to touch him more.

You remembered what he'd said about your mouth earlier, so you leaned down and licked the tip, sucking the head into your mouth. Steve choked out your name, grabbing your hair and pushing you further down. "Doll, you feel better than I could'a... So damn good, baby..." He thrust his hips up and you took as much of him as you could. The feeling of him hitting the back of your throat should have made you gag, but you were so high on the euphoria of Steve Rogers that you couldn't find it in yourself to care. Steve called your name again and you felt him spill down the back of your throat. It didn't matter to you. You swallowed, feeling his cum slide down into your stomach. The pain ebbed again, but you both knew that this wasn't over yet.

"Super soldier stamina," Steve grunted, and pulled you up onto his lap. "Come on, doll. Ride me." His forehead was beautifully sticky with sweat and his hair had fallen around his face. You were sure you looked the same way, and sighed at the thought of how you must have looked. Desperate for Steve, pliant in his hands.

Steve gripped your hips and pulled you up further so you were hovering over his cock. "You gonna be a good girl for me? Let me fuck you, doll?"

"Yes, Steve, yes," you panted, reaching down to move his cock to your entrance. "Come on, Captain."

A smirk crossed his face. "That's my girl." He moved your hips down so he plunged into you, keeping one hand on your hip as he pulled you into a passionate, searing kiss. "God, baby," he crooned against your lips.

He had been wrong. It was the drug talking back in the Reaper's maze. Your lips were so, so much softer than hers. She could never compare to a goddess as beautiful as you.

"So beautiful," he murmured, feeling your hips brush his as he settled deep inside you. "Knew you could take my cock, doll."

You gasped, feeling the hairs at the base of Steve's cock tickle your clit. "Steve..." you whimpered. "I need... Touch me... Fuck me..."

Steve turned you over, slipping out of you for one moment as he laid you down on the bed, knowing that you were real, that this wasn't a dream, that this couldn't be a dream because dream sex felt like your hand (because it was your hand). This was real.

"Come on, Steve, fuck me," you pleaded. "Please."

He obliged, plunging deep into you and thrusting his hips sharply. You cried out, lifting your hips to get a better angle. Steve's hands left the cot and he laid them on you, using one arm to keep your hips up and the other hand to fondle any part of you he could reach. Your breasts, your clit, tugging your hair, spanking you, anything was fair game to him as his thrusts sped up. You responded perfectly to everything, begging him for more when he touched you, crying out when he yanked your hair, screaming his name when his hand connected with your ass. Steve could feel his climax building as the pain vanished.

"Steve, Steve, I'm gonna come, touch me more, Steve," you begged, gripping the pillow beneath you and digging your nails in. Steve's thrusts became sloppier as he neared his climax and you felt yours begin to build. "Steve, please!"

"Almost there, doll, come with me." Steve let out a strangled cry as he came, pressing deep inside you. Your name left his lips in a single choked breath as he collapsed, curling around you to keep his cock in you.

You came too, shuddering through the pleasure, and cried out as Steve kept thrusting into you from behind. "So good, Sam!" you wailed, finally free falling and chasing away the pain of the drug.

Steve's stomach clenched, but not from pleasure. His eyes narrowed and he slipped out of you. "What did you say?" he whispered, hoping desperately that he had misheard you.

"I..." You turned around, still flushed from the most amazing sex you'd ever had. "Did I say... What?" You seemed genuinely confused, but Steve just stood, reaching for his clothes and ignoring you.

"You should go. The drug should be out of our systems," he said.

The last few moments came back to you and you felt a pit of guilt settle in your stomach. "Steve, I'm sorry, I..."

"Did you want to fuck me?" he asked, keeping his eyes low. "Or did you think we were going to die, so you did what you thought was right?"

You swallowed. "I thought you... I'm sorry, Steve."

Steve shook his head. "Forget it. Let's pretend this never happened. Go. Tell Banner you're miraculously better."

Shaking, you gathered up your underwear and the hospital gown, slowly putting them on. As you turned to go, you looked over at Steve. He was sitting on the bed, head in his hands, only in his boxers. "Steve, I..."

"GO!" he shouted, jumping to his feet. "Get. Out!"

You flinched, feeling tears prick your eyes. Immediately, Steve softened. The way he said your name... It reminded you of the way your mother had whispered your father's name over his casket. "I'm sorry, I didn't meant to be harsh. I don't... I don't want you to go." His voice broke as he stepped towards you. "Please."

After a small infinity, you stumbled back to him and he wrapped his arms around you. "Did you mean to say it?" he asked.

"No," you said. "I wasn't even thinking about Sam. I was thinking about you, and about how damn good that felt."

Steve picked you up gently and walked back to the bed, sitting down with you in his lap. "Not just from the drugs?"

You sighed. "Yeah. You're amazing at... all of that." You gestured to the rumpled sheets, making Steve laugh.

"You were good too."

Silence fell in the room. Finally, Steve added, "Should we..."

"Yeah."

He tackled you to the bed and kissed your neck, reaching up to pull at your nightgown again.

* * *

* * *

* * *

* * *

* * *

"I'm sure you can handle him if something happens," Wanda promised Peter. "He's your age, after all."

Peter rolled his eyes. "What, just cause he's a boy my age I'm supposed to be an expert?"

Wanda squeezed Peter's shoulder. "No, you're both men out of time. Not as big of a jump as Captain Rogers and Sergeant Barnes, but eight years is pretty long."

"Okay. I'll keep an eye on him," Peter promised.

Wanda gave him a smile and left the room, closing the door behind her. Peter sat down next to the bed and tugged at the neck of his suit. "You know, for a fast guy we sure caught you easily," he commented.

Pietro cracked an eye open. "And who are you?" he asked.

Peter flinched back. "I didn't- I didn't know you were awake. I'm sorry." He scooted to the edge of his seat. "How are you feeling?"

"I don't know. I feel like I have missed a lot," Pietro said, looking around the room. "Sorry, I don't know your name."

"Peter. Peter Parker," Peter said. "I'm with the Avengers. I'm Spider-Man."

Pietro wriggled a hand free of the blankets and offered it to Peter. "I am Pietro," he introduced himself.

"I knew that. Well, yeah, your sister told me but your face is pretty famous. I video chat with the other Avengers sometimes and Mr. Barton will not shut up about you and your sister." Peter rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"That old man is still alive?" Pietro laughed, then grabbed at his ribs. "Ow." He leaned his head back against the pillow and looked up at the ceiling. "I do not remember much of what happened, so if you are here to ask me about it, then I am afraid I cannot help you."

Peter shook his head. "I'm not here for that, I'm here to keep watch. You know, in case she gets back in your head or something."

Pietro sighed. "My sister would know, I would call out for her. I was so scared when I thought she would die."

"We do a lot for the ones we love," Peter said, meeting Pietro's eyes just briefly, but Pietro's eyes on his made him keep his gaze on the other boy. Then he remembered- _they were both dudes. Peter could connect with him._ "Hey, do you want to play some video games? I have a Wii that I stashed here."

"Video games..." Pietro bit his lip. Peter tensed. "Video games sound fun. You must show me how to play," Pietro declared, shifting to a sitting position.

Peter grinned. "I'll have Wanda grab it for me." He grinned back at Pietro, glad that his new friend was going to recover and come back to the Avengers.

"It looks secure, but you never know with these Avengers," Quentin mused, walking around Sam's cage. The alien soldiers around him hummed in approval. Quentin peered inside the cage, watching Sam's slow movements. "You have something to say, Falcon?"

Sam slowly got to his feet, using the cage for support. Quentin examined the other man's skin, which was covered in blood and bruises. "I think you're an asshole for what you did to Peter," Sam spit. "And if you lay a finger on Steve or..." His voice was cut off by a coughing fit, but the message was clear enough to Quentin.

"I didn't know that you were affiliated with that scientist," he said, stepping around the cage so he was right next to Sam. "Seems to the Reaper that Steve has strong feelings for her."

Sam flinched. Quentin's deranged smile widened. "That's your little weakness, huh? Her? Fine, then." He turned to the few Chitauri the Reaper had managed to bring with her from 2012. "Take him to the chair."

The cage door opened and the Chitauri dragged Sam off. Quentin watched after them, keeping one hand on the cage and the other locked around his gun.

"Well, don't be so paranoid, Quen." The Reaper's voice came from behind him, and he turned to her. She was leaning against the cage, eyes alight beneath her goggles. "The Chitauri won't fail a second time."

Quentin dropped his hands and sauntered over to her. "I won't, either. This time, I'll take down Peter Parker and any other Avenger that thinks they are on his side." He stroked her mask, touching the skin at the edge of it. "Please, my queen, let me..." His hands went to the back of the mask, detaching it from the rest of her suit. With a quick tug, it and her ponytail wig came off.

A demented smirk crossed his face as he stared down at what lay beneath the mask. "Well, well, well," he crooned, stroking her hair back. "Won't the Captain be so pleased to see who the Reaper really is."

She smiled up at him and lifted her hand. Quentin allowed her to blow the drug into his face, then before its effects had even taken over him, he kissed her deeply.

"No one else knows?" he whispered against her lips.

She laughed. "I trust no one else with who I am, Quentin."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Basically what you need to know is:  
> \- they fucked  
> \- reader called out Sam's name instead of Steve's  
> \- Steve was like, just go, fuck this  
> \- reader is sad  
> \- but steve comforts her and thus begins a slightly toxic fuck buddies relationship  
> \- sam's gonna have to deal with some shit when he gets back  
> I'm sorry.
> 
> No I'm not.


	8. Keep-Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Steve continue your odd affair during your 'recovery time'. Meanwhile, Peter and Bucky begin to train Pietro for life as an Avenger. A full-scale Stark-level party thrown by Pepper brings around an opportunity for relaxation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone else want a TV show where Steve and Bucky go to the grocery store and Steve flips out over the price of milk and Bucky wants a senior citizen discount?  
> Well, consider Pietro insisting he's old enough to drink alcohol, much like Flash in Far From Home. Peter's got other opinions.
> 
> Also, more smut because who isn't a little thirsty for Steve? Constantly?  
> i have problems

It had been one week since you and Steve had come back from the Reaper's labyrinth coated in her poison. One week since Pietro had reentered the lives of the Avengers. And one week since the most amazingly mind-blowing sex you'd ever had. Steve had come and found you the next day, after you went back to work, and bent you over your desk. You dreamed of him almost every night, and woke up to the dawn, realizing that it had only been a dream.

Like today.

Your eyes opened to the sun streaming in through thin curtains. The room was quiet, and the sheets were comfortable on your bare skin, and the arm thrown over you was warm...

"Steve?" you gasped, remembering where you were and that you were most certainly not dreaming. "Steve?"

Steve's arm shifted across your waist, his breath tickling your neck. "Morning," he whispered, cuddling closer to you. "How do you feel?"

"Good. Really good," you said, twisting around to face him. His eyes searched yours as he pulled you into a kiss, sliding his thigh between yours. "Steve, we just did this last night."

"And I want to do it again," Steve mumbled, blinking sleep out of his eyes. "C'mon, baby, morning wood's a thing and since you're here..."

You sighed. Super soldier stamina meant insatiable habits. "Steve, don't you want breakfast first?"

Steve kissed down your neck, making his way to your breasts and closing his mouth over one. "I'll handle that," he joked, squeezing your hips gently. "Just let me make you feel good."

After about two seconds of Steve's tongue working magic on your chest, you relented. "Okay, but I have to go to work in about five..." You trailed off as Steve made his way lower, kissing at the inside of your thigh. "...minutes."

"I'll make you cum in one. Time me." Steve licked a stripe up your entrance, dipping his tongue into you. "I'm serious."

Laughing, you reached for your phone and went to the clock app, setting your finger over the stopwatch. "And, go!"

Steve went absolute nuts, diving between your legs and licking up your wetness greedily. "Baby..." he rumbled, low in his chest, and his voice sent vibrations through your whole body. You could already feel yourself drawing towards a fast orgasm. He wrapped his lips around your clit and sucked, darting out his tongue to lick over you again, then with a final lick all the way up your cunt, you fell over the edge and came, hard.

"Steve!" you cried, arching your back into his hands as he ate you out through your orgasm. His hand reached out and stopped your stopwatch, and as he lifted his face from between your legs, he picked up your phone and grinned.

"Doll, look at this," he said. You were panting, completely flushed underneath him, but you raised your head enough to look at the screen, which flashed 58.25 seconds. "That was the fastest I've seen you come apart like that."

You smiled up at him, untangling your legs from his and climbing out of the bed. "I know, I get it." While collecting your clothes from the floor, you looked back at him and grinned mischievously. "I bet you could..."

"Do that all day?" Steve cut you off, laughter bubbling up low in his chest. "I could. You're so sweet, doll." He climbed out of bed and walked towards you, leaning down to steal another kiss. "You're so good to me."

Pressing your lips to his again, you reached up to tangle your fingers in his hair, gently pulling him back. "Steve... I gotta... I gotta go to work... Madwoman terrorizing New York and all that."

Steve nodded, stepping back. "You'll be back here later, I guess?"

"Yeah." You dressed hurriedly, keeping an eye on Steve. "I'll... I'll see you tonight."

Without further ado, you hurried out of the apartment, slamming the door behind you. "Fuck," you cursed, checking your phone for the time. "I'm gonna be late." Darting down the hallway of Steve's new apartment building, you ran to the "borrowed" company car, changed clothes in the backseat, and started the ignition.

"Hello."

You screamed at the appearance of a red mask in your backseat. "Who the fuck-!"

Peter slammed a hand over your mouth. "Relax, I'm not gonna kidnap you. I'm not the freaking Reaper or anything." He gave you a smile in the rearview mirror that seemed more mad than genuine. "I just needed a ride to HQ and I recognized the car you picked me up in."

"Why are you even here, Peter?" you asked, slowly prying his hand off your face.

"I was coming by to see Steve about my history project that I'm doing for school, and then hopefully snag a ride from him, but then I saw your car was here so I just figured I'd wait for you." His smile swung from mad to innocent, then to devious. "What were you doing over here?"

Blushing, you got out your keys to start your car. "I needed to run some files by Captain Rogers."

"Where are the files?"

"How did you even get in my car anyway?"

"It was unlocked for some reason, and, by the way, your shirt is on inside out."

You cursed under your breath, buckling your seatbelt. "Parker, I..."

Peter sat back in his seat. "I am seventeen, not stupid. I know why you were there. Look, if you're dating Steve, that's fine, and I'll keep it a secret, but don't you think it's better to go public with it?"

"We're not dating," you said, putting the car in reverse and driving off.

"But you're definitely fucking," Peter joked. When you made no comment, his eyes widened. "Oh, shit. I didn't mean..."

"I know, Peter." Your hands tightened on the steering wheel. "Can you still keep it a secret? We don't... We're just..." You took a deep breath, trying to calm yourself. "Steve and I have a lot going on and it's a good way to get rid of some of the stress of all this... insanity."

Peter shrugged. "But is it healthy?" He leaned forward, crossing his arms over his thighs. "I know how these things work, I've read too many of Aunt May's books. I'm telling you, somebody's gonna catch them feels."

You kept your eyes on the road, focusing on driving. "Why are you going to HQ? I thought they transferred you upstate yesterday."

"Change of plan." Peter's relaxed form screamed casual, but suspicious. "Bucky specifically requested that I stay here so I could help train Pietro. After a few hours of Wii Sports, you really get to know someone."

"Wii Sports... You know what, Parker, I'm not even gonna question it." You looked in the rearview mirror. "And buckle up! Safety first."

Peter smirked. "Tell that to your precious Captain I-Don't-Need-A-Parachute Rogers."

"Shut it."

"Don't tell Bucky."

"I won't, I promise."

You and Peter entered the gym to see Pietro and Bucky already sparring. Bucky made some comment in what sounded like Russian and Pietro responded with some more words that were total gibberish to you. "Do you know what they're saying?"

"No idea," Peter said. He rushed into the gym, waving to Bucky and giving Pietro a quick hug before going to the rack of weights and waving the other boy over. You smiled, watching the two talk about exercise and whatever. Peter was truly a special boy, and you made a mental note to send a thank-you note to May for raising him right.

"Why's your shirt inside out?" Bucky asked. You jumped, not having noticed him coming over to you.

You laughed, faking embarrassment. "Got dressed in the dark cause my power went out. I'll go fix it."

Bucky shrugged. "If that's your story. Who's the guy? Or girl, I don't judge."

"There is no guy or girl, Bucky," you said, turning away. Bucky whirled you back around.

"C'mon. You can trust me. I'll keep it a secret. But I gotta tell you," he winked conspiratorially, "between you and me, Stevie's got a bad crush on you. He came to me for advice about it."

Your heart fell into your stomach. "He what?"

Bucky patted your head, ruffling your hair. "You didn't hear it from me!" He dropped his hand and gave you a look. "Last time I saw that glow in your cheeks, you were leaving the compound with Sam for... Was it coffee?"

The reminder that if you got Sam back, this thing with Steve would have to end in fairness to him hit you again. "Yeah, coffee," you said. Bucky shrugged.

"Well. We're doing our best to get him back from the Reaper. I'm just scared that-"

"Hey! Mr. Barnes!" Peter was bench pressing. Not the bar, the bench press machine itself. "Check this out!"

Bucky shook his head. "Rain check on this conversation. I'll catch you later. Gotta make sure the kid doesn't kill himself." He turned to go, then stopped and pointed at your chest. "Fix the shirt. Sharon'll ask." Then he was gone, jogging over to the boys and making a show of bench pressing the machine with his metal arm.

You left the three laughing and pretending to be bodybuilders or something, headed for the bathroom first, then your office. It was going to be a long day.

"You know, if we configure the time machine in her lab so that it only sends her to a specific point in time and a specific place... and then put a tracker on the machine..." You trailed off, pointing to a couple of your team's equations on the board.

"That could work," your lead mathematician, Molly, piped up. "If I'm correct, a trip through the quantum realm is roughly 38 seconds per person?"

Drake, the physicist, rolled his eyes. "Mols. It's 38.5749 seconds. We don't deal in roughly."

A loud cough came from the opposite whiteboard, followed by a muffled, "Get a room!" Your slightly dirty-minded chemistry expert, Daniel, grinned from behind his closed fist.

The team laughed, making fun of the two who, honestly, should just date. "Y'all." You clapped your hands for attention. "Let's focus. Yes, Drake, it's 38.5749 seconds. For the sake of saving the Avengers time..." You wrote 39 on the board. "39 seconds. To me, this means that we need a notification about ten minutes before-"

"Can I interrupt?" Sharon knocked on the open door. "Sorry, it's just... Ms. Potts said that I'm supposed to make the rounds and tell everyone about the party. It's Friday night, to boost company morale

"Ha, Friday," Daniel joked.

"Like the AI." Molly said dreamily. Drake smiled at her and you winced. _Fucking get a room, dammit!_

Sharon pulled a piece of paper out of her jacket pocket, unfolding it. "She also said that dates are optional, but recommended, especially for certain agents." No one, except for the ever-oblivious Drake and Molly (of _fucking_ course), missed her cold stare towards the two. "And it's mandatory." This time, her gaze fixed on you. "You have to log at least an hour in."

You gave a theatrical groan. "Sharon..."

"Doctor Workaholic won't need a date, she's married to her work already!" Daniel laughed at his joke, and, unfortunately, everyone joined in.

"That's enough, Dan," you said, pointing at him with your marker. "We have to finish these before noon."

Sharon saluted the group with a nod, winked at you, mouthed 'If you don't ask Rogers, I will', and then left.

You gritted your teeth and turned back to the board. "As I was saying. We need ten minutes because we have to wake up the Avengers who are staying here, get them ready, and get them in the time machine at least one second before the Reaper enters hers."

The rest of the morning was spent answering questions, finalizing calculations, and then finishing plans to work on the information Steve and Peter had returned with. Still, you had other things on your mind. Like Steve. And Sharon's ~~threat~~ promise. And Steve again. And Steve's...

You shook yourself out of your daze and hurried out of the room at lunch. The cafeteria was pretty much empty, as usual, due to everyone grabbing their meals and bringing them back to their desks. Your team, however, was required to take a break every day. You headed for the team's usual table, but saw a hand waving out of the corner of your eye. You turned to the booths in the corner of the caf and spotted Peter, arm raised, waving you over. Giving your team a nod and a promise to join them tomorrow, you headed over to Peter's table.

"What's up, Pete?" you asked, sliding into the other side of the booth.

Peter clenched his fists, almost decapitating his muffin. "You heard about the party, right?" He bounced in his seat, shaking the table.

"Sharon interrupted a very important discussion to tell us, yeah. Why?"

He squeezed his eyes shut. "Well, I wanna ask someone," he muttered. "And I know you do some setups among the scientists, so I was wondering if you could help me."

So the rumors of Doctor Matchmaker did get around. "I may have dabbled in Cupid's field a bit," you teased. "What, did Wanda finally catch your eye?"

Peter stuck his tongue out, then blurted, "More like her brother."

You gasped. "Peter! Oh, this is so cute." You took out your phone and snapped a picture of his blushing face. "This is blackmail for later. You're gonna get this done by tomorrow at four o'clock or I'm sending this to Pietro."

"Nononononono, I'll do whatever you say, just don't send that!" Peter tried to grab your phone but you yanked it back. His hand fell to the table and, unfortunately, this time did decapitate the muffin.

"Okay, so you want to ask this guy out and you met him..."

"One week ago." Peter's shoulders slumped. "I'm doomed."

You shook your head. "No, Pete. It's normal to crush on people quickly."

"Very normal. And then it proceeds to..." He made a hole with his right thumb and forefinger and slid his left finger into it, giggling like a teenager. (Well, he is a teenager.)

"No. Special cases. Not yours. Let's talk strategy." Right now, the Reaper could go fuck herself. You wanted a normal life for just a little longer.

As a plan began to form in your mind for Peter, another one took shape. Bucky's words from earlier had hit you a little harder than you'd like to admit. If Peter was right...

Maybe taking another someone to the party would help you prove it, one way or another.


	9. Buck-Handled

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky Barnes is sharp as a knife and as deadly as one too. You don't mind making him your date to the party, though, since Steve'll be there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We love Doctor Workaholic being a surrogate mother figure to Peter.

"Let me get this straight," Bucky said. "You want to go to the party with me?"

"Yes." You planted your hands on your hips. "If you want to."

Bucky's eyes narrowed. "Is it 'cause of what I said about Steve earlier?"

You sighed. Bucky was too good. "I can..."

"No, no, I'll go with you." Bucky set his hands on your shoulders. "If it helps my best friend, I'm in. Besides, I've been trying to get him to start dating. He's the last eligible bachelor in New York City, and there's plenty of girls that have got their eye on him." He paused, then grinned. "But only one that he's got _his_ eye on."

Blood rushed to your cheeks. "Buck. I don't know if I want to..."

"Give him a dance, doll." You flinched at the word 'doll', as it carried a reminder of Steve's voice, hot and heavy, as he crawled on top of you... Bucky snapped his fingers in front of your face and you jumped. "You in there?" You nodded. "Trust me. Just one dance, and he'll talk. He'll do whatever you want him to." He winked and left, touching your shoulder briefly. "I'll pick you up at six thirty on the dot."

You pumped your fists in relief. Phase one of your plan was complete. Now it was time for Operation Peter Parker.

"Oh, hey!" Bucky call back, catching your attention. "Wear something blue. Just a thought." He winked and left, whistling what sounded quite a bit like "The Star-Spangled Man With A Plan". As the door began to swing shut, you heard him shout, "Hurt one hair on his head and I'll snap your neck without a second thought!" all too cheerily. Before the door could even close, Peter dashed inside, shutting and locking the door behind him.

"I... Cannot... Catch... A... Break..." Peter panted, rushing to the water cooler and grabbing a bottle out. He downed it in several gulps, turning back to you and throwing the bottle in the trash.

"Recycle, Parker," you said, crossing your arms. "How did it go?"

Peter switched the bottle to the recycling bin. "I saw him... And then..."

"And then?" you prompted.

"I ran." Peter hung his head. "I ran out of the room and came straight here. I'm sorry."

You walked over, tilting Peter's chin up. "Don't be sorry. It's okay to be nervous. Do you want me to come with you?"

"Would you?" Peter, paused, then reconsidered. "Not like, to creepily stand over him and threaten him, but, yeah."

Thinking back to Bucky's ~~threat~~ promise, you shivered. "Don't worry. I'll just be there for guidance. And backup."

Peter giggled. "I hope I won't need it, but thanks. I'd feel better if you were there."

"Great! Let's go!" You grabbed the back of Peter's hoodie and dragged him out of the gym. "Don't worry, I'll find him, you just worry about what you're going to say."

"And you're grounded if you don't say it," Sharon threatened as she walked past the two of you.

You waved. "Hi, Agent Carter. Peter and I are on a mission. Nothing to do with the Reaper, I promise." Shooting an evil grin to Peter, you added, "We're getting him a date to the party."

Sharon's eyes lit up. "Good luck, Peter!" She ruffled his hair and smiled at him. "Who's the lucky person?"

Peter blushed. "I'll tell you if you can tell me where he is," he mumbled.

She looked at you. "Maximoff?"

"Maximoff."

"Dammit, Doc, we had a deal!"

"Our deal was, as I recall, I'd help you ask him out in exchange for silence about a certain-" You glanced at Sharon nervously. "-captive."

Peter shook his head. "That's not who-"

Slamming a hand over his mouth, you gave Sharon an innocent smile. "He's so cute, isn't he?"

"Adorable. And seventeen. And out of your league." Sharon turned and walked off, heels clicking on the floor.

"This is my son, Carter!" You sighed and turned back to the shaking Peter. "Calm down, kid, it's gonna be okay."

"But she's gonna tell him!" Peter protested.

_Whoosh._

"Tell who what?" Pietro said, appearing out of nowhere and wrapping an arm around Peter's neck. Peter squeaked. "You didn't see that coming, слаткиш?"

You let go of Peter's face and stepped back, spreading your hands. "Peter, why don't you tell Pietro?"

Peter's shaking only got worse and he began to gulp for breath. "I can't... I can't... I'm scared..."

"Do not be frightened, слаткиш," Pietro said. "I am here to listen."

The closeness of the two boys, both physically and emotionally, warmed your heart. Though you weren't sure what Pietro was calling Peter, and if it was something like "friendo" the poor boy was screwed. Still, he had to try.

"What are you calling me?" Peter asked. Pietro stepped back and relinquished his hold on Peter, moving his hands to the (much) shorter boy's arms. It occurred to you that both might be a little touched starved.

"If I tell you, you cannot make fun of me," Pietro said. Peter nodded. Pietro inhaled deeply, then, talking as fast as he could run, blurted, "Iamcallingyoucute!"

Peter jumped. "Sorry, what?"

Pietro lowered his eyes to the ground. "I'm calling you cute. You're cute. A little. A lot." He let go and backed up.

You interrupted his word vomit with a little squeal. "See, Peter! Go ahead, say what you were going to."

Peter walked towards Pietro until he was within hugging distance. "I... Pietro... Will you go to the party on Friday with me?"

Pietro's eyes fucking lit up. You could have sworn Christmas lights were dancing in his irises, the way that boy looked at Peter. "Yes! I would love to!" He swept Peter up in a hug, squeezing him until Peter cried out.

"That's a sight for sore eyes."

You whirled around to see Steve standing behind you, hands in his pockets, wearing a button-down so tight it was probably held together by some space magic or something. "The poor kid's just survived a kidnapping, and to him, the attack on Sokovia happened a week ago." He smiled down at you. "I know how it feels."

"I guess." You turned back, watching the two boys launch into a conversation about football. (The Wii kind. Peter insists it's better, as he is a baby nerd.)

"So, the party." Steve crossed his arms and you could have sworn you saw the button-down stretch. "Are you going with anyone?"

"Are you asking?" you blurted.

Steve shrugged. "I figured we could try it. See how it feels to both of us."

You felt your heart drop into your stomach. "Oh. Um. I'm already going with someone, Steve."

The look on his face made you wish you could turn back the clock and never ask Bucky. You made a mental note to tell Bucky that he had been right, and that you were an idiot for not seeing it, but it was too late now.

"Who?" Steve asked.

"We don't really need to have this right here, do we?"

" _Who_?" His eyes narrowed and his shoulders tensed up. "Who are you going with?"

"I'm going with Bucky!" you snapped, the words so forceful you almost spit in his face. "Are you happy?"

Steve fell silent, then whispered, "No." He turned around and walked away stiffly, calling over his shoulder, "Don't bother coming by tonight!"

You gritted your teeth and turned back to the two boys, who were still chatting away about the party. Peter shushed Pietro and turned to you. "Is everything okay?" he asked, concern spreading across his face.

"No." You pushed past him and headed for your office. "I've got a team to rile up, excuse me."

Friday came quicker than expected, and soon you found yourself in the shotgun seat of Bucky's old Ford Taurus. "You sure this car is safe?" you asked, tugging your dress over your knees.

"Nope!" Bucky pulled out of the parking lot and started down the street, looking scarily calm behind the wheel. "Better than Steve's car, though," he added, giving you a half-joking smile.

"Right." _Steve._ You looked out the window, watching the lights of New York City change as you drove uptown. "The new Avengers facility should be really nice. I've never seen it before."

"It's really nice," Bucky agreed. "I have my own room there and everything. We're setting up for Peter after the party."

You smiled at the thought of young Peter, finally in a safe space. "I think we can clear his name, don't you?"

"If Steve can't clear his name, no one can." Bucky's shoulders straightened, confident in his old best friend. You winced. He noticed. "What's got you down?"

"Oh. Steve." Willing yourself to just tell him, you said, "He came and asked me to the party."

Bucky whistled. "I warned ya. You had an idea he was interested, didn't you?"

"Interested in my body, maybe," you joked.

Bucky slammed on the brakes. "Say what now?"

"Buck, there's people-" Horns started to honk behind you. "Drive!"

He slowly put his foot back on the gas. "Doc."

"Yes?"

"Have you been fucking my best friend?"

You winced. "Maybe?"

Bucky shook his head. "There's no maybe about fucking. Are you or aren't you?"

Sheepishly, you nodded.

He gritted his teeth. "How did he react to you rejecting him?"

The memory resurfaced and you swallowed back the guilt. "I said I was going with you and he told me not to bother coming by his house that night."

Bucky's mouth twitched up in a smile. "Here's the thing you gotta know about Stevie. It's an all-or-nothing deal with him. You must be pretty special to him if he's willing to try friends with benefits, 'cause normally, he's gotta have the romance with the sex."

You blinked. "Really?"

"Really." Bucky turned to you, eyes warm. "Don't worry, doll. Remember what I said to you about the party?"

"Wear blue?" You patted your skirt.

"No, about dancing with him. Give the poor boy a dance, and then see how you feel. If you don't feel that pretty little spark, then just tell him and you have to break it off totally. No fucking." Bucky looked back at the road. "I know it's not ideal, but that's the way Steve works."

"Okay," you said reluctantly. "I'll dance with him. I don't know if he'll dance with me, though. He seemed pretty offended."

Bucky pulled into the parking lot of the very impressive new facility and parked perfectly in the front row. "That's Steve for you. He's always been like that. Just remember-" Bucky got out of the car and walked around to open your door. "-all or nothing."

You took his arm and the two of you walked inside to your first party since college. "You much of a partier back in school?" Bucky asked.

"Just in my freshman year," you said, glancing around the room. There was a dance floor and a karaoke machine and a full liquor bar set up. "Buckled down and studied after that."

"Seems like you," Bucky said. "Never thought you'd actually come to one of these."

The two of you sat down at bar stools and Bucky ordered two beers. "Well, Sharon said it was mandatory," you laughed, clinking your bottle against Bucky's and taking a swig.

Bucky shot you a confused look. "These are never mandatory, Doc. You said Sharon said that?"

Slamming your hand on the bar, you cursed under your breath. "When I find you, Sharon Carter..." you threatened quietly.

"Uh, no need," Bucky muttered, smacking you on the arm. He gestured to a high-top table in the corner, where Sharon and Steve were sitting and talking. "Wanna dance?" he said, quickly changing the subject.

"Sure." You downed a couple more sips and joined Bucky on the dance floor. The song was upbeat and Bucky swung you around easily to it. It was the most fun you'd had in ages. Everything was so awesome, even the little corner where the kids of the employees were having a playdate. The glass around them was clearly soundproof and likely one-way, as they took no note of the festivities.

"I want a couple of those someday," you called over the din. "They're cute!"

Bucky laughed. "Tell that to the diapers!"

"What?"

"Hey, it's Bucky!" Peter popped up behind Bucky and gave him a friendly hug. He waved and said hi to you, then called Pietro over. "What a party!"

"It's her first one!" Bucky said, pointing at you.

You laughed. "Buck-" Unfortunately, you were rudely interrupted by Peter and Pietro both started yelling at you for not coming to the parties. "Guys, come on, it's not my element."

"You dance well, though!" Pietro shouted, smiling at you. Everything about him was so energetic and fun. You could see why Peter liked him.

The song cut out and the DJ turned to the microphone. "Alright, we're gonna slow things down a little, guys. Everybody grab a partner and come on down to the dancefloor!"

Peter shook Pietro's arm. "A slow song! Come on, I'll show you how to dance to these." He pulled the young man away from you and Bucky, chattering on about high school dances.

"Go." Bucky nudged you in the direction of Steve as the song started. "I'll grab Carter." He winked and headed for the table, offering his arm to Sharon. She took it and let him lead her to the dance floor.

Now was your chance. Forcing your legs to move, you walked over to the table, wobbling a little on your feet. Remembering a trick you'd seen in a movie (that had worked for them, dammit), you flicked Steve's shoulder and said, "Hey."

Steve looked up from his drink. "Hey."

"I'm sorry about earlier this week. I talked to Bucky, and..." you trailed off, unsure of what to say.

"Do you want to dance?" Steve filled the silence quickly, offering you his hand.

You took it, and Steve stood, pulling you gently to the dance floor. He set his right hand on your waist and took your hand in his free one. You in turn set your left hand on his shoulder and stepped close. Your chests were almost touching.

Swaying gently to the beat, Steve pulled your hands in closer. "If you talked to Buck, I'm sure he told you how I am with romance." His blue eyes burned into yours, beautiful in the dim light.

 _Steve was so fucking beautiful_.

"It's all or nothing with me, doll," he continued, squeezing your hand. "If you want to keep what we're doing, that's fine, but I need to know that you feel something other than lust."

He hadn't shaved in a few days, and the lights illuminated his stubble. You smiled up at him and took your hand off his shoulder to brush over his jawline. "I do. I... Let's try it out, Steve."

His face lit up and his arm on your waist tightened, pulling you even closer, until his lips were at your forehead. "I'm gonna do this right, doll," he promised. "Tell me you want me."

"I want you, Steve."

"Tell me you like me, baby."

"I like you, you punk," you giggled, drawing on what you knew of Steve and Bucky in the 40's. "Let's dance."

Steve let go of your hand to cup your jaw and kiss you.

To your left, the wall of glass shattered and Sam Wilson burst in through the wreckage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> puT YOUR RIGHT HAND ON MY WAIST, MR. WEASLEY  
> Sam's back, y'all!


	10. Light Wings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam has returned from the Reaper's maze, but at what cost?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope y'all are ready to cry.

Glass began to spray out from the cracks, scratching your face and arms. Steve threw you behind him, almost throwing you into Peter and Pietro, who had not yet noticed the commotion and were wrapped in each other's arms as their lips just barely touched. In other circumstances, you would have squealed. Instead, you shook them both and barked a quick order. "Pietro, run as many people as you can out of here. Peter, get all the kids to safety."

They both nodded, breaking apart and scuttling off to herd people out of the party room. Pepper, Sharon and Bucky appeared at your side, facing Sam, who slowly got to his feet. You squeezed Steve's arm and scooted a little bit forward.

"Sam!" you called. "Can you hear us?" Under your fingers, Steve's muscles tensed. You pressed on anyway. "Sam, it's me. Your favorite doctor?"

Sam looked up at your small group, scanning over all of the injuries. "How did you escape?" Sharon called.

"The Reaper sends a message to the Captain." Sam's voice was monotone, unwavering, and downright terrifying. "You keep your nose out of her business and she won't hurt your little girlfriend." Steve tensed.

Peter and Pietro ran back into the room, Peter already tapping his tie and expanding his suit over his body. "What's going on?" he asked, gripping Pietro's hand. Wanda joined the group as well, hands balling into fists.

"She broke him," Bucky said in disbelief. "The Reaper broke Sam."

Sam tilted his head up. "The Winter Soldier."

"My name is Bucky!" Steve barely stopped Bucky from launching himself at Sam.

"време."

You tilted your head to the side, knowing the word from somewhere. "Excuse me?"

To your left, Bucky tensed. "Code words. Not mine, though."

Sam, though clearly not native to the language he was speaking, threw out words faster and faster. "Поништавање. Буллет. Дете. Осамнаест. Планета. Срце."

Pietro's hands slammed over his ears and he dropped to his knees. "Stop it, stop it!" he screamed, curling over his thighs. "Stop!"

"Pietro!" Wanda ran to her brother's side, setting a hand on his back. "Talk to me, brother!"

Sam slowly began to step closer to Pietro as an unseen force pushed Wanda and Peter back, leaving a clear path to Pietro. You started forward, but a line of bullets cut you off and you screamed, jumping back into Steve's arms.

"Don't bother." A patch of air shimmered, and Quentin Beck stepped into view.

"How do you have the drones?" Peter said, eyes widening.

"You never cancelled my authority over these puppies." Quentin held up a pair of regular-looking glasses. "Useful, aren't they?"

Sam crouched in front of Pietro and spoke even more quickly. "Сестра, Дванаест, Хидра."

Pietro's hands fell and he collapsed, shaking, at Sam's feet. Everyone in the room held their breath, and for the first time, you understood what the mission was.

"It's a scare-and-rescue mission," you whispered to Steve. Pietro rose to his feet and spoke three words that hit you deep.

 _"Ready to comply._ _"_

"Buck," Steve whispered, reaching out to his best friend. "Maybe you should..." He trailed off. "I don't know."

Bucky shook his head. "I don't either, Steve."

Wanda tensed as her brother walked beyond Sam and towards the window. She started for him, hands glowing red, but Quentin aimed several drones at her and one at Pietro. "Just try it."

"Beck, leave him alone!" Peter screamed desperately.

"Thought you were head-over-heels for that Michelle girl," Quentin said. He laughed and turned to go, climbing onto one of the drones. "Or did she dump you after I exposed you for who you truly are?"

Peter launched himself at the drone. He actually managed to grab onto it before a gunshot rang out and red blossomed at Peter's shoulder. He looked down in surprise, then up to the gun in Pietro's hand. "Piet..." He got out before falling down to his knees. His hands dropped from the drone and he fell back, unconscious.

"Sedative in the bullet," you muttered. "Has to be." Peter was gonna be out of commission for a little bit. Steve rubbed your arm comfortingly, though there was nothing he could really do to comfort you at the moment.

Pietro dropped the gun to the ground with little regards for anyone's safety, then climbed onto a drone himself. "Let's leave the new recruit to deal with these people," Quentin suggested to the other two. "Get Maximoff back to base so we can wipe him again."

You leaned over to Wanda, slowly devising a plan. "Fly Peter to HQ, then get back here so you can help us deal with whatever is coming next." She nodded, and, as the drones began to take off, ran for Peter.

"Cap."

Steve looked up at Sam, who stared down at him with zero emotion in his gaze. "On your left." Steve whirled around in time to catch a bullet fired from behind your group. He went down before he could reach for your hand. When you turned to look, there was no source.

"Go, Wanda!" you ordered, heart pounding. "Get Peter out of here!"

She did as you said, carefully picking up Peter in one arm and flying out through the use of the other. You didn't bother to tell her not to jostle his shoulder. She knew.

Bucky, meanwhile, had retrieved a sleek rifle from underneath the bar and ran to cover you and his friend. Sharon grabbed a pistol from underneath the chairs. Another shot rang out and knocked Sharon down. She was out before she could fire back. You ran and grabbed her gun, which was a bad mistake, since the source started firing shot after shot after shot at you. You scrambled back, got a good footing, aimed the pistol, and fired once.

A drone appeared out of nowhere, still being controlled by Quentin Beck. Likely, you had managed to shoot the power source for the projectors. Even more startling was the woman behind it, gun raised, calmly reloading. She looked up and realization dawned on her face that the drone's projection was down and that she was no longer hidden from your eyes.

Without hesitation, you raised your gun and shot Peggy Carter right in the shoulder. She stumbled back, hand going to her gunshot wound. Bucky took the opportunity to give her one hell of a kick upside the head. Somehow, she remained conscious, but she was still on the ground.

"Aunt Peggy?" a voice came from behind you. Sharon had woken up and was trying to sit up, but the wound in her leg wasn't helping much. "Am I dead?"

"No." You stalked up behind her and raised your gun, just in case Peggy- or, the machine the Reaper had turned her into- had any ideas. At your feet, Steve began to stir, and his eyes opened. He sat up much more quickly, squinting at the scene in front of him.

"Peggy?" he said, staggering to his feet. "Peggy?"

She raised her gun and, from the ground (and at an angle), shot him in the stomach. It was, unfortunately, an impressive shot.

"Steve!" you screamed as he fell back. "Steve, goddammit!" Your next shot caught the drone in the side, cutting off its power. Bucky's next shot wasn't a shot so much as a "my gun is now a battering ram" type of situation. One more hard hit to the head and Peggy was out.

You and Bucky stood there, panting, before you remembered that Steve had a bullet in his stomach. "We gotta get him to the hospital. No time to go to HQ."

"Do we take out the bullet?" Bucky asked.

"He's a super soldier. Yes." You gritted your teeth and crouched down next to Steve. "Normally, I wouldn't suggest it, but since he has an accelerated healing rate, we need to get it out so the tissue doesn't conform to the bullet and cause more damage."

Sharon army crawled over, looking down at Steve. "Is he gonna be okay?"

You assessed the damage. "Physically, I think he'll live. Emotionally, well, he just saw the woman that was his wife for years upon years. I wouldn't be okay."

"It's just like when he saw me as the Soldier for the first time," Bucky said. He was still over by Peggy, keeping his gun trained on her. "Froze up. He didn't even fight me after that."

At the worst possible time, Steve jerked back awake. "His body is rejecting the sedative. I gotta get that bullet out." You searched around the room. Spotting the bar, you ran over and dug around until you found some tongs. "I'll work with it."

You returned to your previous position and tore at Steve's shirt until you could see the bullet hole. "Goddammit, Rogers, you're better than this. This is gonna hurt, but you have to stay still for me."

Steve gave you a tight smile. "Don't worry, doll. I'm tougher than I look."

"I'm sure you said that to Bucky every single time you got beat up in a back alley." You dug your tongs in as you spoke, gritting your teeth every time Steve winced. Finally, you managed to grip the bullet in the tongs and haul it out. "Shit."

"Your pretty dress," Steve said, running a bloody hand over the fabric. "I'm sorry, doll."

You looked back to Sharon. She laughed. "Don't stop on my account."

Turning back to Steve, you said, "Don't be sorry. I can wash it out."

Steve looked down at his shirt, surveying the rips and tears. "Well, I was hoping you'd tear open my shirt tonight, but I wasn't expecting this."

"Okay, time to go to the hospital. Doll, pass that pistol to Agent Carter. She'll keep an eye on her dear aunt while you and I get Stevie to the hospital." Bucky hoisted Steve into his arms, tucking the rifle into yours. "Come on."

You handed the pistol to Sharon and followed Bucky out of the room. Up close, you saw that Peggy had been snatched probably in her mid-thirties. She was truly a beautiful woman.

A horrible thought hit as you got back in the car. If Steve survived and you rescued Peggy from the mind control, would he want to marry her again? You bit your lip and forced yourself to focus on keeping pressure on the wound, as Bucky instructed you to do.

"Just focus on that for me, doll." He peeled out of the parking lot, making wild turns and programing his GPS on the way. With Bucky's New York taxi style driving, you got Steve to the hospital in less than five minutes. By the time you got there, your dress and hands were soaked with blood. Paramedics swarmed you, taking Steve and putting him on a gurney. You and Bucky watched as they wheeled Steve down the hallway, you gripping Bucky's arm for support.

"Bucky..." you started, but your breath wouldn't come to give you the rest of the sentence. Bucky led you over to one of the chairs in the ER waiting room and carefully sat you down.

"Can you hear me?" Bucky asked, flipping your wrist over to check your pulse. "Damn, that's high. Deep breaths."

But you couldn't. You were breathing too fast and you couldn't get a grip on the world.

A British voice broke in. "Her skin is cold. I think she's going into shock."

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"Could ask you the same, I thought you were dead. Sharon escorted me, if you must know. Now let's get this girl back to S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters and then you can tell me what's going on."

"With all due respect, Agent Carter, we can't go to S.H.I.E.L.D."

"Why?"

You grabbed the arms of the chair and pushed up. Wobbling on your feet, you slammed your hands on Peggy's shoulders. "Because it's 2023, S.H.I.E.L.D. is gone, and you just shot my... my Steve in the stomach."

Peggy's face swam into view. "Something has happened to all of us," she said. "What do you mean it's 2023?"

Before you could get the breath in your body to respond, you bent over and threw up on her shoes.

It took several minutes for a doctor to arrive, and when they did all they could tell you was to lay down and kick your feet up on a chair. You already knew that from basic field training. After what felt like forever, though, you felt your breathing begin to regulate.

"She's going to be okay," you heard Peggy say, then footsteps, then the ringing in your ears stopped and you could hear Bucky's voice, even though he was whispering.

Peggy's face swam into view and you blinked up at her. "Can you tell me your name?" she asked.

You carefully enunciated each syllable, testing your own tongue. Once you were satisfied, you slowly lowered your feet and carefully sat up. "How long was I like that?"

"An hour." Peggy sat in a chair next to the one your feet had just vacated. "They got Steve's bleeding stopped and he's in recovery right now." She reached down and offered you a hand. You got up onto the chair, leaning heavily on the arm of it.

She chose her next words carefully. "I remember being at another building and I got hit on the head by Sergeant Barnes. What happened?"

Still slightly out of breath, you explained the ordeal to her in as few words as possible. She listened the entire time, never once interrupting. When you were done, she bit her lip and looked away. "I never thought Hydra could have succeeded in their programs."

"They did. Bucky was one of those soldiers. The only one to have survived, until now."

Peggy's head snapped back to you. "Barnes was under the control of Hydra?"

"Yes. And now they're back, and this woman is suddenly their head, and she's bringing people out of the timeline to battle the forces trying to stop her. You were on her list. We believe she's working her way up to kidnapping Bucky at a time when he was still under Hydra's control." You shook your head. "I know it's hard to wrap your head around, time travel and all that, but it's what happened. It's how the Avengers saved the world."

She smiled at you, shaking her head slightly. "That boy that they took. Who was that?"

You gritted your teeth. "One of Hydra's pet projects. He came to our side, but died fighting for the world. He is also my favorite Young Avenger's future boyfriend."

Peter burst into the waiting room, ignoring a doctor who was trying to rewrap his arm. "Oh good, you're here!" He ran to you and grabbed your hands. "Please, tell me you're going to go after Pietro! He's gonna be all alone, and he's gonna be fighting his own mind! Bucky told me how it feels and I'm scared. I just want him back!"

You turned to Peggy with a grim frown. "Speak of the devil, am I right?" Turning back to Peter, you stroked back his hair. "It's gonna be alright. We'll find a way to save them all."

"Not Mister Beck." The tone of Peter's voice scared you. "He hurt me, threatened my friends, and now he took Pietro. I don't care what you do to him. You can kill him for all I care."

"Peter!" you gasped, tightening your grip on his hand. "Honey, don't worry. We'll take care of everything. If we have to kill him, we will, but we'll do our best to minimize the casualties." This bought the doctor enough time to get a needle into Peter's neck, sedating him almost instantly.

"Pietro..." he whispered before falling unconscious.

The doctor looked up at you. "Between you and me, it's a good thing you got him and Mr. Rogers here when you did. Any longer and the blood loss might have killed them." He turned to carry Peter back to his room, then stopped. "Oh, and good work on the bullet, Doctor."

You watched him go, surprised. "How did they know who did the bullet?"

"Sergeant Barnes... I mean... Bucky wouldn't shut up about it." Peggy folded her hands in her lap. "Earlier, you mentioned something about 'your Steve'. What was..."

"There you are!" Bucky strode back into the waiting room, saving you the trouble of even hearing Peggy's question. "Now that you're out of shock, can I ask you some stuff? Just basic, post-emergency things."

You shifted in your seat. "Um, sure. Go ahead."

Bucky flopped down next to you, taking a minute to catch his breath before saying, "First off, where the hell did you learn to shoot like that?"

"Oh." You drew a blank, trying to think back to any time you might have had experience with a gun. "I don't know, Bucky."

"Well, it was amazing. You should practice so you can go to the field sometimes. We need more shots like you, especially with Clint having retired." He pushed your shoulder gently, giving you a huge Bucky Barnes smile.

You shrugged. "Sure, I mean, sounds fun." You tapped your toe a couple of times, then blurted, "Can I see him?"

Bucky deflated. "I'm sorry, doll, they're not letting anyone in right now. You can give a message to one of the doctors." He stood. "You seem tired, I shouldn't have tried to ask you a bunch of questions. Want a ride back to your home?"

"No, I think I'll stay." Not just for Steve; you didn't want Peggy to be left alone. "See you soon, Buck?"

He nodded once and left, looking back over his shoulder to wave. "See ya."

Peggy leaned back in her chair. "And now we wait."

You chuckled. "It is called a waiting room for a reason."

She laughed in turn. "Yes, it is."


	11. Flame's Price

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You deal with the aftermath of the party, such as your dance with Steve and the gun in Pietro's hands that sent a bullet into Peter's shoulder. The Reaper captures a new victim for her ranks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize in advance.

"Excuse me?"

You looked up from your chair to see a nurse standing in front of you. "You're here for Steve Rogers, right?" she asked.

"Yeah, what's up?" Your heart slammed into your stomach. Bucky had said that he was going to be okay, but there was always that possibility...

"We're allowed to let you go back now, if you'd like." She glanced over at Peggy, who had fallen asleep in her own chair. "Is that..."

You cut her off. "Long story. Steve?"

The nurse nodded, swallowing quickly. "Yeah. Right. This way, please." She turned and began walking down the long hallway. You followed behind her, watching every door for Steve's name. Finally, the nurse stopped at an open door. "In here. Take your time." She left, leaving you alone at the door.

"Hey." Steve was propped up in the bed, eyes open, smiling at you.

"Steve..." Your eyes welled up with tears. _Steve was okay._

"Doll."

Blinking away the tears, you stumbled into the room. "Yeah?"

Steve opened his arms. "Come here."

You practically sprinted the remaining few feet, crashing into him with a vigor that probably jostled his stitches. Steve just laughed through whatever pain he was feeling and pulled you close, one arm under your thighs and the other around your chest. Your lips met his in a frantic kiss and you sighed with relief.

"I thought I was gonna lose you," you whimpered, tucking your head into the crook of his neck. "Stevie..."

"No, you're not. I'm way too stubborn for that," Steve joked. "Hi, baby. I'm here."

You shivered at his gentle touch, sitting up so you could look him in the eye. "I'm so sorry, I should have..."

He pressed a finger to your lips. "Doll, it's okay. It's gonna be okay. I'm fine. The doctors say I'll be back in the field in a few days."

"That's good." You reached down to take his hands in yours. They were warm, and tubes and wires were coming from them but they were Steve's hands. "I was so worried."

"Hey, doll." He freed a hand to tilt up your chin. "Don't worry. I'm okay." Steve's eyes warmed as he looked you over, blue and black mixing to steal your soul and hold it close. "I never got the chance to ask you this, doll, but I was wondering... During our dance... You said that you wanted to try more with me. More than just sex. You and me, together." His cheeks turned the lightest pink and he looked down. "If you want to."

Your heart lifted, almost closing off your throat as you stuttered out a, "Are you asking me out, Steve Rogers?"

Steve tilted his head back up, eyes wet. "Yes. I am."

"Then yes!" You threw your arms around him, kissing his cheek. "Yes, Steve, I'll go out with you. As soon as you get out of this stupid hospital."

He let out a breath of relief, cupping your face in his hands. "Damn, doll. I... I didn't think I'd be doing this here, but, you work with what you got."

"Hey."

"What?"

"Watch your fucking language, Rogers."

Steve laughed, bringing your lips to his once again. "Look who's talking."

"Steve?"

You broke the kiss and turned around, heart beating faster. Peggy was standing in the door, her mouth slightly agape, eyes wide. "You're awake," she finally said.

Steve's mouth dropped open. "So..." He trailed off, stealing a glance at you. "The Reaper did get you."

Peggy hesitated, cutting her gaze to you. You jumped to your feet. "I'll..."

She strode across the room and took your hands in hers. "I am happy for the both of you," she said, though you could see the sadness in her eyes. You understood. For her, the kiss between her and Steve had probably happened a week ago.

"Peggy, I'm sorry," Steve started, but Peggy shook her head.

"We all move on, right?" She took a seat next to the bed. "I understand, Steve." Her posture and the tension in her muscles screamed _I do not understand_ , but you knew she was trying her best. Peggy wanted Steve to be happy.

"I'll give you guys a minute," you finally said. "Peter should be here too."

Steve reached out and grabbed your wrist. "Tell that kid he's brave from me, okay?"

You nodded. "Of course. I will."

Peter's room was easy to find. You just followed the sound of sniffling. He was propped up in bed, hospital gown covering bandages on his shoulder. "Oh, sweetie," you said, walking in. "What's wrong?"

"They're gonna hurt him," Peter said, eyes unfocused and muscles limp. "Pietro's not safe in their clutches. If they do something to him..." He shot up in bed, then tensed and grabbed his shoulder.

You rushed to his side and made him lay back, taking his hands in yours. "You're gonna be okay. He's going to be okay. Once Steve is back fighting with us, we'll go after him."

"I wanna go to!" he protested, gripping your fingers so tightly you swore they'd break. "Please, let me help." Tears began to form in his eyes, streaming down the sides of his temples and cheeks.

God, you wished you could wave a wand and make everything better for the sake of this poor kid. "I'm sorry, Peter. You're not strong enough right now. Once you're at 100%, you can help us, but not a moment before. If you're out of it, you're as good as dead." You touched his forehead, wincing at how warm he was. Then again, Steve always ran a little hot too...

"Okay," Peter whispered, eyes slowly closing. "I'll do my best." His breathing began to slow and you let go of him, giving him space to rest. Casting one last glance at the young man you had worked so hard to protect, you hurried out of the room, wiping a few of your own tears away.

Bucky was waiting in the lobby and jumped up when you entered. "They let you see him?"

"Yeah," you said, biting back an angry retort about Peggy. "Can I get a ride back to HQ?"

"Sure." Bucky pulled the keys out of his pocket. He touched your shoulder, squeezing it comfortingly. "I think Steve'll be okay."

You looked up at him, fear gripping your gut. The only thing you could think to say was, "And I think you need a haircut."

Bucky laughed and strode to the revolving door, sweeping an arm towards it. "Shall we?"

He still drove like a maniac, but he got you there safely and even gave you a quick side-hug as you got out of the car. "Be safe," Bucky warned. "If I have to tell Steve that you got hurt on my watch, I'm getting my ass kicked."

"So if I'm not safe, you aren't either," you said, nodding. "Cool. If you see Steve, tell him I went back to HQ."

"What, you didn't tell him where you were going?"

Your mouth tightened into a line. "Didn't seem appropriate, considering Peggy barged in on us kissing."

"Oh." Bucky's flesh knuckles turned white on the steering wheel. "I'll talk to them. I just want my pal to be happy, you know?" The corner of his mouth turned up. "Now, go. You've got some work to do." He waved at you out the window as he drove off.

HQ was, as usual, pristine and familiar. Your office was certainly familiar, but it was not pristine. The desk was a mess of paperwork and calculations, but you flopped down at it anyway, sighing as you kicked off your heels. Maybe you'd left a change of clothes on-site...

Unfortunately, after a quick search, nothing came up, except some battered old sneakers you'd left there years ago. You resigned yourself to walking back to your apartment in the tight dress from last night.

Was it last night? You rubbed your temples, setting your elbows on the desk. "Damn," you cursed out loud. "I need a vacation."

Maybe after all of this was over, you could just... Go to the Bahamas or something. You pulled your cell phone out of your little clutch and dialed Steve's number. It went to voicemail straightaway, so you just cursed (into the speaker), and said, "Hey, Steve, it's me. I hope that you're recovering fast and I miss you." _Shit. That was sappy._ "I keep thinking I need a vacation or something, so after this whole mess is over, we should go to Coney Island or Las Vegas. Somewhere cool. Like a freezer." You giggled at your little joke. "Anyway, get well soon. I'll be by later. See you." You hung up before you could say something even more stupid.

"I'm going to need that walk," you muttered, pushing yourself to your feet and stumbling towards the door. Gripping your clutch close, you headed out of your office into the building September cold.

"You don't pay enough attention to me." Quentin pouted, sliding a hand up her side.

The Reaper shook her head, swatting his hand away. "You had your turn, Beck."

Quentin rolled onto his back, placing his hands under his head. "But the new guy's had about fourteen."

She laughed, moving her hands over the body above her. "You get the stamina of a god and we'll talk. Besides... You were here... Before him... So you've had a lot of turns."

The god in question cackled, literally cackled, as he moved in and out of her. "Perhaps... Perhaps he could just..." He beckoned Quentin closer and ran a hand down the man's chest. "I'm certain we can all satisfy each other, can't we?"

"I'm sure... We can..." the Reaper panted, pressing her lips to the side of his neck.

"God, imagine if Rogers were here right now," Quentin casually suggested, moving a hand to her breasts. She arched into his touch, gasping for air. Quentin smirked. "Stamina of a god, but some of us know how to work your body, my queen."

She cupped the god's face in her hands, studying his blue eyes. Loki had been easy enough to sway to her side, she'd just grabbed him the second he appeared on Earth back in 2012. Adding a magician to her army was a good idea, and to top it off, Loki had questionable morals already. She'd have to cut his hair back, though, it looked nicer when it was short.

 _Actually,_ she thought, _short hair in Viking times was a symbol of slavery. And that's what I'm doing here, isn't it? Only the fighters had to be put under the control of Hydra. Beck and Loki already want revenge on certain people, and they're willing to do anything for me to get it._

"Loki, dear, why don't you..." She pushed at Loki's hips, sliding off of him and turning to face Quentin. "Why don't you go and see how Wilson is doing with Maximoff? Quentin might just get what he wants."

Loki climbed off of her, waving a hand to clothe himself. "Of course."

She noted the way he refused to add "my queen" when he addressed her. Perhaps a little more control would suit him. Quentin was already trained for her, lips on her neck before Loki even left the room. She watched him go, leaning her head back and letting Quentin kiss down. "What was that you said about Rogers earlier?"

Quentin tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "If Rogers saw this, what do you think he would say?"

Her laughter was nothing like Steve could have ever heard from his girl, cold and dark. "He'd be so angry."

"Do you care?"

"No." She pushed Quentin back down so his lips touched her skin. "I don't care. I only care about what you're doing to me right now." She slipped back into that happy place Quentin could get her to with just a few touches. "Come on, Beck, come on," she whispered, driving her worries about her plan away until further notice.


	12. French Girls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve comes home from the hospital. He takes his scientist with him, planning for some domestic bliss, but the Reaper has other ideas.

You drove Steve home from the hospital in Bucky’s car. Of course, due to his healing factor, he had been able to get back to work sooner, and you were thankful for it. More heroes on the streets fighting against the Reaper, the better.

Steve was silent the whole car ride, and your thoughts drifted to the last time you’d seen him, when Peggy had interrupted the two of you. Was he thinking of her?

You quickly shook off the thought. Jealous would get you nowhere, and besides, you knew better. Still, you couldn’t resist asking as you pulled into the apartment complex’s parking lot.

“Steve?”

He turned his head ever so slightly to looked at you. “Yeah, doll?”

“What happened with Peggy?”

A quiet laugh escaped his lips. “Someone’s jealous.”

“I... It’s not like that.” You gripped the steering wheel, knuckles whitening. “I promise, I just want to know.”

Steve turned away again. “We talked. I explained that it had been years since I last saw her, even though for her, it was just days. I can’t explain how that made me feel... Not guilt, since I moved on, but something else. I just... I don’t know.”

You set a hand on his shoulder. “Steve, it’s okay to be confused. The last time you saw her was in a casket, and now she’s alive and well.”

“I know, but... It’s nice to see her.” He moved a hand to hold yours. “You don’t feel threatened?”

“God, no.” Your lips broke into a smile. “Stevie...”

“Bucky used to call me that,” Steve said, and pulled you into a kiss.

His apartment door crashed open and the two of you spilled inside, giggling like teenagers. Steve slammed the door shut and locked his arms around your waist, kissing you again and lifting you up. You kissed him back, biting at his lower lip until it swelled into your mouth, red and plump. He almost literally threw you onto the counter, kissing down your neck and collarbone. 

“Wait, shit,” you cursed. “Steve, I’m not... You always had a condom...”

Steve withdrew reluctantly. “Shit.” He ran a hand through his hair and pulled you back to your feet. “Right. I think I need to run to the drugstore. You gonna be okay here?”

You reached up and tugged on his hair, pulling his lips back to yours. “I love that you still say drugstore, you old man.”

Steve smiled against your lips and he broke away, holding your face in his hands. “What did I do to deserve you, baby?”

“Something good,” you said dreamily, grabbing his hands and taking them from your face.

“Fifteen minutes.” He grabbed his keys off the hook and turned to the door. Before he opened it, he turned back to you and added, “That’s how long you’ve got to be on my bed, no clothes. Got it, doll?”

You swallowed. Oh, you could get used to this Steve. “Yes, Captain,” you teased, then filed the nickname away when Steve tensed. “Kinky.”

“I’ll show you kinky when I get back.” Steve walked out of the apartment, locking the door behind him.

Wow.

You turned away from the door and took in your surroundings. You’d been here a few times, but every single visit brought something new. He had old photographs littering every possible surface, a coffee pot with a dent he swore looked like a heart (it didn’t), and a throw pillow with the words  _ There’s No Place Like Home  _ stitched across it. The apartment was a mishmash of everything Steve, and you loved it.

Remembering Steve’s order, you walked into the bedroom, breathing in his scent deeply. Then, since you still had a little time, you went to the bedside table and ran your fingers over the items on it. The discovery of the day was a small round capsule, probably something to hold jewelry in. Why would Steve need-

The capsule popped open in your hand, revealing a compass on one side and a picture of Peggy Carter carefully attached to the other. The side of the picture was slightly torn, as if someone had tried to pry it up but failed. You set it down, pushing the jealousy away, and scanned the other items on the stand.

Next to where the compass had been was a pair of scissors and a picture of three people. 

Your breath caught.

It was you and Sam Bucky.

You remembered that day. It was the first day you’d been in the training room, about four months ago, and you’d tried to use too much weight. Bucky had  run over to help you and Sam had followed reluctantly, complaining about wasting time. Sharon, who was supposed to be your training partner, had quickly snapped a picture, knowing she could blackmail you for almost dropping the weight at the sight of Bucky and Sam, dripping with sweat. Sharon must have sent it to Sam and Bucky. You picked up the picture, shaking your head at the memory. A circle was drawn around your faces, the exact size that was perfect for the little compass.

Trying to keep your head from bursting, you set down the picture and went for the last item, a  leather-bound book with a thin ribbon page marker. You flipped the book open to the ribbon and gasped out loud.

The unfinished sketch on the page was beautiful and terrifying at the same time. It was a drawing of Bucky, eyes narrowed, head cocked, both arms tense as his hands curled around the gun in his hands. Both hands were flesh.

Steve had drawn this. His initials were scribbled at the bottom.

You turned the page and almost dropped the book. The next sketch was of you. You were lying down on a bed, one eye closed, the other eye wide open as you looked up off the page. A thin sheet made you just barely decent, hinting at debauchery. You carefully touched the drawing, just to make sure that it wasn’t a photograph.

“I thought I told you to be on the bed,” Steve’s voice rumbled from the doorway. You whirled around, clutching his sketchbook in your hands.

“Did you draw these?” you asked, holding up the book.

Steve nodded, tossing a small bag onto the bed. “I did. All of them.”

“They’re amazing. When this is all over, you could be an artist,” you said, showing him the drawing of Bucky.

“Is that all you saw?”

You flinched. “I...” You turned the book around and turned back to the drawing of you. “Was this from memory?”

He nodded. “Yes.”

You giggled, and whispered, “Draw me like one of your French girls, Jack.”

“Sorry?”

“Nothing, it’s from a...”

He cut you off. “I know what it’s from. I’m 105, I’m not dead.” Steve drew closer until his eyes were glinting down into yours. “Do you want me to draw you again?”

“Yes.” You didn’t hesitate to set down the book and draw off your shirt. “Wearing these.”

Steve looked down at your breasts, which were covered delicately by a baby blue lace bra. “Oh, doll.”

You sat on the bed and let Steve rid you of your shoes, socks, and pants. Steve’s breath hitched at the sight of your matching panties, which happened to be missing a key part. “They don’t have a...” He trailed off, but no flush came over his face. Well, of course. He was in the army.

“You can fuck me all you want with these on,” you said, hooking a leg around his neck and making him look up. “After you draw me.”

Steve took a deep breath, grabbed his sketchbook, dug out a charcoal pencil, and set them down on his desk. Slowly, he approached you and positioned you on the bed, legs closed, one arm over your head, the other hand resting on your stomach. He turned your head to face him, then stepped back. “Perfect,” he said, almost to himself. He returned to his desk and swung the chair around, kicking an ankle up to his other knee and propping the sketchbook on his calf. 

He lifted his pencil and began to sketch.

You were both silent the entire time, Steve taking labored breaths as he focused on each aspect of your form. Listening to the pencil scratch calmed your beating heart, and you recalled what Rose had said in the movie  _ Titanic _ about having Jack sketch her, about how intimate it was. This felt more intimate than any way Steve had taken you, any kiss, any moment in his or your bed. Your heartbeat was so loud, you were sure he could hear it.

“Done.” He broke the silence without warning, blowing eraser chunks off the page. “Do you want to...”

“Please.” You sat up, stretching out your stiff muscles, and joined Steve at the desk. The sketch was beautiful, perfect. It captured everything, from the way one corner of your mouth turned up slightly to your feet, folded in on each other. “Oh, Steve...”

“Do you like it?” He looked up at you, blue eyes staring into your soul.

You cupped his cheeks in your hands, lifting his head and leaning down to kiss him. “Yes. I love it, baby.”

“You called me baby.” He chuckled into your mouth, grabbing the back of your neck. “Though I think I prefer Captain.” He stood, picked you up, and tossed you onto the bed like you weighed nothing.

You let out a breath as he stalked towards you, unbuttoning his button-down and reaching for the bag from the drugstore. “Yes, Captain,” you whispered.

Sunlight woke Steve from a peaceful slumber. He smiled, remembering his dream, the one where you’d taken him on a picnic and fed him little cakes. Then you’d grown wings and flown into the sky, taking him with you...

“ So, I see you’re awake?”

Steve stiffened. The voice was familiar, but it wasn’t yours. He opened his eyes and felt his chest clench.

Sam stood in front of him, arms crossed, every muscle in his body tense. “Where am I?” Steve asked. “What did you do to me? What did you do  to...?”

“We didn’t hurt your girlfriend.” Sam bit his lip. “But she’s not supposed to be yours, is she?”

Steve tried to move his hands and found that they were cuffed to the chair he was on. A tug of his legs revealed the same. He pulled as hard as he could, but they wouldn’t budge.  Vibranium , surely.

“Don’t bother.” Sam pulled up another chair and sat down, resting his elbows on his knees. “You’re not going anywhere.”

“Don’t do this, Sam.” Steve switched tactics quickly, like Natasha used to tell him to. “You’re a good person.”

Sam laughed. “So was Bucky, huh?”

Steve tensed, then winced. Wanda had been right. Any mention of Bucky and he was instantly frozen.

“What’s stopping her from going back and taking him?” he asked. “She wants the Winter Soldier, what’s keeping her back?”

“The fact that Bucky Barnes is in this world. Going back to a time when you existed, or getting pulled into a time where you do, is dangerous. You ever seen Mr. Peabody and Sherman?” Sam was toying with him, Steve knew it. He’d watched that movie a few years ago, but any and  all time travel facts had been thrown out the window when they had gone back to get the stones.

“Yes, I have, but I touched myself when we went back. I kicked his ass, in fact.” Steve could remember the event vividly, since he had almost been choked out by his past self.

Sam shrugged. “The Reaper doesn’t know that, but I’m sure she’d be glad to learn. Simply put, she wants this time’s Bucky out of the way before she brings in another.”

The pieces fell into place all at once. “She’s gonna kill him.”

“Now, Sam, don’t reveal the entire evil plan,” a female voice teased. The same metallic voice that Steve had heard under the streets of New York City. The Blue Reaper slinked her way into the room, touching Sam’s shoulder gently. Sam stood immediately and left, closing the door behind him.

The Reaper regarded Steve with little care as she dropped into the chair Sam had recently vacated. “So. Captain Rogers.” Steve shivered, remembering the way you had so seductively used his title last night. Or was it two nights ago? He had no idea what day it was. “I must say,  it was hard to find you.”

“What did you do with her?” Steve spit, on the offensive once again.

“Relax, we left her alone. Better to let her stew than to keep her in the same place as you, don’t you think?” She kicked one leg over the other, her mask contorting as she smirked. “Sorry.”

Steve struggled against his bonds with every intent to tear out the Reaper’s throat. “Stay away from her, you bitch.”

“Language, Captain.” She stood and planted one heeled boot on his thigh. “Or I might have to gag you, too. That would be fun, wouldn’t it?” She grabbed his chin and covered his mouth with her hand. “Play nice, Captain.”

He struggled against her grip, but she was much too strong. Her other hand came up and blew a powder Steve was all-too-familiar with into his face. Steve coughed, trying to hold his breath, but the powder went straight into his airways.

“Interesting, isn’t it? The powder is effective, but the liquid form of the aphrodisiac is much worse.” She gestured to the cuffs binding Steve’s hands and feet. “The cuffs are a little more painful than they would be, since they’ve got needles in them. I wouldn’t struggle.”

Steve could feel the aphrodisiac working through his bloodstream already and he took deep breaths, forcing his heart to slow so he could think of a plan. “Why are you doing this?”

The Reaper smirked. “Because your little scientist will never be yours. When this is all over, I’m going to let Sam have her. Then maybe I’ll keep you around as a plaything.” She tilted his chin up, forcing him to look at her. “You’re pretty enough, aren’t you?”

Steve used the last of his resolve to spit in her face. She gritted her teeth and slapped him across the face, hard, then she dropped to her feet and took off one set of cuffs. To his surprise, she twisted them around her own wrist and squeezed, tensing as the needles pierced her skin. She threw them to the side, blood seeping down her hand, and trembled as the drug worked through her body too. Steve couldn’t even struggle when she leaned down and kissed him.


	13. I'm Positive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and his scientist get some less-than-ideal news.

You stared down at the miniscule stick in your hands, clutching your stomach where the nausea was building. The box had said to wait two minutes before checking the test, and the timer had gone off about thirty seconds ago. Still, you couldn’t bring yourself to move your hand away from the small screen.

“Just do it,” Pepper Potts advised, crouching down in front of you. “I was so scared when I took my test, but believe me, it’s better to rip off the Band-Aid.”

“Thanks, Pepper,” you said, meeting her eyes. Without looking down, you moved your hand away, then cast your eyes to the stick. “Shit.”

Pepper gasped. “You’re certain?” She took the test from you and stared down at the two little lines. “Well, how are you going to tell him?”

You cursed. “We were so careful, Ms. Potts. How did this happen?”

“The first time.” Banner entered the small bathroom, or tried to. Eventually he just stood outside and made an attempt to not look embarrassed. “I’m sorry, I turned off the lab footage but it caught what happened. No protection was used.”

“Shit,” you said again, taking back the test. “Well, better to rip the Band-Aid off." You shot Pepper a grim smile. Where is he?”

Banner hesitated. “We don’t actually know that."

“What?”

“We don’t know that,” he repeated, showing you a small screen that displayed Steve’s apartment living room. On it, a woman dressed in black crept out of Steve’s bedroom with the super soldier slung over her shoulder. She looked up at the camera, face obscured, and spray-painted the lens over.

“The Reaper,” you said without a second thought. “She’s got him and now there’s no telling what she’ll do.”

Pepper touched your shoulder gently. “Take a few deep breaths. It’s gonna be okay.

The subsequent explosion that knocked you back into Bruce and sent both of you spiraling begged to differ.

When the dust cleared, the wall of the bathroom was completely gone, exposing you to the open air. You coughed, waving your hand in front of your face to clear the dust from your throat. Pepper staggered to her feet and rushed to help you up. Her forehead was bleeding, but she wiped the blood out of her eyes and stepped in front of you, shielding you from the blast zone. Or rather, what had caused the blast zone.

Iron Man hovered a few inches away from where the wall had been, hand out, blaster at the ready- and Steve dangling by his shirt from his other hand. “Stand down,” he ordered, voice cold and dangerous.

Pepper took a step forward, eyes softening. “Tony?”

A blast shot from Tony’s hand and knocked Pepper back into the wall. You heard a sickening crunch and saw her go still. “Pepper!” you screamed, running to her side and checking her pulse with a trembling hand. There! Faint, but it was there.

Tony flew closer and dropped Steve on the floor. The poor man was unconscious, blood coming out of his mouth and nose. “The Reaper sends her regards.” He flew backwards, hung there for a minute, then added, “Play nice with the Captain, she doesn’t like her toys being broken.” Then he turned and flew off, red and gold vanishing into the air.

Steve’s eyes flew open and he turned onto his side, coughing up blood. You hurried from Pepper to him, barking an order to Bruce. “Get her to the infirmary, now. I’ll deal with Steve until you can get back.”

Bruce sighed, got to his feet, and picked up Pepper. Her body looked so tiny and helpless. It reminded you of Tony’s young daughter. How the hell were you supposed to tell Morgan what was going on? She’d think her dad was back, and he’d blast her, just like he blasted Pepper.

Concentrating on the situation at hand, you let Steve cough out blood until he could sit up. “I can feel it working,” he said, referring to the serum. “I can feel myself healing. God, I will never get used to that.”

You stroked his face, cupping his cheeks in your hands and kissing his bloody mouth. He tasted like iron and bitterness, but you didn’t care. You were happy he was alive. “Steve, what happened?”

Steve winced. “She... She kidnapped me, and I think she got me with the drug again. But I don’t remember it very well. This time, though...” He paused to cough blood right in your face, and you winced. “You weren’t there... To help me through it... So, she did it herself.” He swallowed. “I had sex with her. I’m sorry.”

“It wasn’t your fault, baby,” you said, forgiving him instantly. Mentally, you made a note to tell Bucky that he had a new reason to track down the Reaper as fast as possible. You wanted to hurt her for doing this to Steve.

“Before... Before she left me...” He clutched his side, grimacing. “She told me, ‘That should do it’, and then when she came back in a few hours later, she told me that she...” Steve hung his head, tears collecting in his eyes. “That she was pregnant.”

You swallowed nervously. “I’m sorry, Steve,” you said, moving his head to your shoulder and stroking his hair. “But we can still beat her. It’s gonna be okay.”

Steve laughed hollowly. “I’m not ready for kids.” His eyes focused on the sink, where you had left... _oh_ _shit..._ Where you had left the positive pregnancy test. “Is that...”

“Please don’t freak out.”

He did anyway. By the time Banner and the paramedics got him to the infirmary, Steve was in a full-blown panic attack. You watched them take him and Pepper behind the operating room doors, putting Steve in the hospital for the second time in a week.

“He needs to stop getting into fights.” Bucky took a seat next to you in the waiting room, folding his hands together and bracing his elbows on his knees. “You should have seen him back in the forties. Never backed down from a challenge, and got beat up because of it.”

“Nice to know he didn’t lose that.”

Bucky cleared his throat. “So. You’ve got a little bun cooking up in the oven, huh?”

You nodded, Steve’s words coming back to you. _I’m not ready for kids._ “Steve doesn’t want kids.”

“Well, it is pretty early in the relationship.” Bucky leaned over and whispered, “If that dumbass leaves you over this, I’ll punch him in the gut, turn him into an old man again, and help you raise the kid myself.”

“If I keep it,” you pointed out. “I just found out. I don’t know what I’m gonna do yet.”

Bucky sat back in his chair, crossing his arms. “I know. I’m offering, though.” He looked to the doors they’d taken Steve through. “He won’t leave you; I know that at least.”

You lifted your head and stared at him. “Really? Why?”

Bucky rolled his eyes. “Because he loves you. He’s been pining after you since day one. I think he only went after Carter to get your attention, though I think he does have something for women of the Carter family tree.”

You giggled. “Ha, I guess.” Glancing back at the door, you added, “But he also got... well... raped by her. The Reaper. And now she’s pregnant.”

“Don’t know what her tactic is, but I’m not afraid to hit a pregnant woman.” Bucky laughed, pressing a hand to her stomach. “She might be a little more incapacitated.”

“Or even more dangerous. She’s gathering an army of foot soldiers, it looks like, and she’s just added Tony to her ranks.” You squeezed your hands into fists, glaring at the wall. “I don’t know why she hasn’t gone after you yet.”

“I do.”

Peter hobbled out of the infirmary with his arm bound tightly in a sling. “Mr. Rogers told me. He says that she’s going to try to kill Bucky in order to obtain some semblance of order or something like that.” He sat next to you, staring at his hands. “I miss the days where it was calm and we didn’t have to worry about things like this.”

Bucky chuckled. “Bold of you to assume that I wasn’t always dealing with things like this, especially with Steve.”

“Did you just do a meme?” Peter asked, eyes flicking to Bucky in shock.

“You know what, kid, I think I did.” Bucky reached around you to give Peter a pat on his good shoulder. You did the same, adding a warm smile.

“We’re gonna get Pietro back, Pete. I promise.”

Peter threw his good arm around you in a loose hug. “Thank you.” He pulled down the neckline of his hospital gown to reveal his suit underneath. “When do we start?”

“Right now.” Wanda joined your little party, outfitted for battle in her favorite jacket. “I don’t know about you, Bucky, but I would like my brother back.”

Bucky nodded. “Affirmative. If it means that much to you two, I’ll help.” He stood and offered a hand to Wanda. She shook it, a smile creeping across her face.

You stood and headed for the infirmary. “Let me know how it goes, alright? I’m gonna check on Steve.”

Peter stood and patted you on the shoulder. “I’ll be in my room if you wanna play Mario Kart or Super Smash Bros.”

“Can I be Mario either way?” you asked, a mischievous smile playing at your lips.

“Hell yeah,” Peter said, raising his hand for a high five, which you gladly gave him. “See you in a bit.”

You pushed through the doors and were immediately swarmed by doctors, escorting you in one specific direction. “Let’s have you be with Captain Rogers, okay?” one said in a tone far too sweet for your liking.

Steve was lying down, but he was awake and alert. He sat up almost immediately and hugged you. “Everything was fine, they just had to make sure the serum worked well. I can go out on missions sooner than the bullet allowed for.”

“You’ve gotta stop getting yourself hurt,” you chided, scooting to be a bit more comfortable on the bed. “And you have to debrief me. Right now. I want answers.”

Steve hesitated. “I don’t know a lot...”

“Anything.” You locked eyes with him and pressed on. “We need all the details we can get.”

Finally, Steve began to speak quickly. “She added Loki to her ranks, and he’s been keeping everyone calm and obedient with spells. If we can knock him out, maybe we’ve got a chance. And I know she got Tony, because he knocked me out and, I assume he brought me here?”

“Speaking of Tony,” Banner interrupted, tapping on the door with one finger to announce his presence, “We’ve got a problem.”

“There’s gonna be another Civil War?” you joked.

Bruce shook his head, casting his eyes down and biting his lip. “No, that’s not it. Ms. Potts is dead.”

The smile dropped off your face and you grabbed Steve’s hand. “Pepper? No, that... It can’t be. I felt her pulse.”

“I’m sorry.” Bruce shouldered his way into the room. “She’s gone. You probably felt her heart trying to keep her alive and failing. The hit broke her neck on impact.”

Steve squeezed your hand. “What’s that... Where’s...” He ground his teeth together in frustration. “Tony would never hurt his wife intentionally.”

Bruce pulled out a datapad.“We believe the Reaper is targeting everyone she’d like to appear in her army. If they’re still alive, then they gotta go. Like Bucky, for instance.”

You remembered Bucky’s promise to Wanda and jumped to your feet. “We gotta stop him! Bucky’s going to go after Pietro with Wanda.”

Steve struggled to his feet behind you, giving you a rather clear view of his chest and stomach. You shook your head, banishing away the thoughts. Pepper was _dead_ for crying out loud.

“You both need to sit down and talk. The doctors and I have... business we have to get to.” Banner reluctantly left, closing the door behind him.

You flopped down onto the bed, realizing that your breaths were coming far too quickly. “Steve... Air bag... For...”

“Panic attacks?” Steve dug in the bedside drawer until he came up with a paper sack. “Here.” He held it to your lips and helped you to breathe slowly and deeply. “I’m so sorry about everything that happened.”

“Pepper didn’t deserve to die,” you whimpered, feeling tears prick at the corner of your eyes. Now that your fingers were no longer tingling, you could focus on something other than breathing, and you chose to cry into Steve’s shoulder.

He stroked your back as the day’s events came crashing down around you two. “We are going to be okay. All three of us.”

You were about to say something about Bucky, but then you got his real meaning and your hand fluttered to your stomach. Through the tears, you could see Steve’s hand join yours. “I love you,” he whispered.


End file.
